Left Undone
by speedfanatic05
Summary: His father's death has left him in pieces. Can Timothy find a way to cope?
1. Running

Left Undone

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone but Timothy Speedle , Jr and maybe some of his friends. The rest belong to CBS, Jerry Bruckhiemer, and Alliance ... lucky sons of... lol.

Warnings: Character Death, language.

Spoiler: Variations of Lost Son, Money plane

A/N: I made Tim and the gang slightly older so that junior could be a teen... it just wouldn't work any other way.

A/N#2: I'm sorry guys, I can't help it, if a story comes, I have to write. I haven't given up on my others, just taking a break. I'm a serial writer , lol. Please read and review...

Chapter 1- Running

He sat in the back of the classroom, trying to disappear within himself. There was no reason really for him to be here, he had given up on learning anything for sometime now, and he could care less about the lecture the teacher was giving. He hated this class, he hated anything having to do with science, guns or jewelry. Right now, Timothy Speedle, Jr hated life.

Sighing heavily, he watched the palm trees swaying in the breeze, it instantly taking him to another place. In that place , he would be happy and his mother would be around more. But he realized as he focused his attention back to the blank paper on his desk, that life wasn't that perfect or saccharin. It was filled with disappointment, violence and sorrow. People died in this world, people who didn't deserve to die. People like his father.

He remembered that day like it was yesterday, it had never faded like some memories did, and Timothy didn't think that it would ever . He knew that it would stay with him for the rest of his life. He had been in school when it happened, and when the principal, along with the guidance counselor interrupted his fourth period advanced chemistry class, he instantly knew that there was something wrong. As he walked out of class that day, he felt like the world was watching him to see what he would do. It wasn't until after they had brought him to the office, did they tell him that his father had died in a shootout. He stood for a long time, trying to remember to breathe, thinking that this was a mistake. His father couldn't be dead, he had just seen him that morning. They talked about flying up to New York to visit his grandparents, and the senior Tim teaching him how to ride the Ducati. This couldn't be true. He then let his emotions take over as he slumped down onto the floor and cried . He couldn't remember who picked him up from school, or how he found himself sitting in the atrium of the CSI lab, but some how, he had made it around. The faces that passed him while he sat alone, began to make him feel uneasy, like he was under a microscope. He even heard some of the whispers that his father's gun wasn't cleaned. His temper boiled to the surface as he thought to himself, _That can't be true, he's married to a firearms expert for crying out loud._ Hours seemed to pass before he saw anyone he recognized, the first familiar face being his god mother, Alexx Woods. He remembered the agonizing expression she wore as she approached him, and feeling the despair that wafted off of her. She and his father had been close friends, and he could tell that she was already having a rough time with it. Later , he would find out Alexx had requested to stay on to do his autopsy, and Junior thought that it had to do with her less than stellar feelings for Monroe. No one would touch her Speedy...

" Timothy, did you complete your assignment?" the teacher asked curtly.

Timothy hadn't been aware that she was even talking to him and he shrugged indifferently at her. She glared at him partly in disgust , but mostly in disappointment. There was a time that Timothy was once a star student, but since his father had died, she had noticed the marked changes in his attitude towards his school work. He was barely passing.

" This was the last grade before the grading period ended, Timothy. You're running the risk of failing this class," she warned.

" So I fail. Who gives a shit?" Timothy spat as he closed his books and stood up. He was already towering at fiveseven at the age of sixteen.

" What did you say to me?" the teacher asked again, staring him down.

" I said who gives a shit," Timothy repeated as he made his way to the door. He glanced at the stoned faces of his classmates, feeling even angrier.

" Timothy, where are you going? Class isn't over for another forty-five minutes."

" It's over for me," he returned bitingly as he approached the door and opened it. He walked out without looking back.

The teacher gazed mournfully at the half opened door and shook her head. She hated to see such potential go to waste.

TSJ

Calleigh chambered another round as she steadied her gaze on the target ahead of her. It had been over two years since that day, and she still felt uneasy with handling a gun. After Tim had been killed she had stepped back from her ballistics obsession, feeling like she had let him down. Why couldn't she had gotten him to clean his gun, or a better question would've been, why she couldn't have cleaned it herself? She just assumed that he was taking care of it, because she thought he knew the importance of it, the importance of being there for his family. Apparently her assumption had cost her the only man she had ever loved. She exhaled as she pulled the trigger, jumping slightly as the recoil pushed her back. She then felt the violent vibrations at her side.

Placing the gun down in front of her, she slipped off the protective headphones, and snatched up the phone. Before she could get a good look at the caller id, she knew who it was. It had been like this since he died, every day it being something different. She knew how hard her son was taking it, but she had to wonder if he would ever be able to completely deal with it.

_That's a dumb thought , Calleigh. Have you been dealing with it well?_

The answer to that question was undoubtedly no. Since Tim's death, she had retreated into herself, forming a protective shell around her and refusing to let anyone in, even her own son. Closing her eyes, she shut those feelings off and inhaled as she brought the phone to her ear.

"Calleigh Speedle."

" Mrs. Speedle," said an official voice.

" Yes, this is she," she replied crisply. She wanted to maintain her cool, but she had a feeling that she would fail in that attempt.

" This is Thomas Marks, ..."

" Mr. Marks," Calleigh said apologetically. This was a conversation that she was all too familiar with.

" I'm sorry to have called you in the middle of the day..."

" What has he done?" Calleigh asked as she closed her eyes again. This was getting to be too much for her.

" He cursed out his Biology teacher and walked out."

_Dammit_, Calleigh thought as she felt her temper rising. She put a hand to her forehead as her eyes remained closed. Why was he doing this to her?

" Mrs. Speedle? Mrs. Speedle..."

Calleigh jarred herself and replied hastily, " Huh? Oh yes, I'm sorry. You were saying?"

" I know Timothy has been through a difficult period, but if his behavior continues to escalate, we will have to think of other options," the principal said with sincerity.

" I'll talk to him," Calleigh said as she unbuttoned her lab coat, " thank you , Mr. Marks."

Calleigh grabbed her bag and pushed through the doors of the lab angrily. She was tired of this.

As she waited for the elevator to arrive, she impatiently tapped her foot and felt the sting of tears as they threatened to surface. A hand came out from nowhere and caressed her softly on the shoulder. She turned quickly to see Hagen standing there, in a rumpled suit and a forlorn look in his eyes. She moved slightly from him, feeling disgusted at his touch and continued to wait for the elevator.

" Calleigh, we have to talk," Hagen said as he inched closer to her.

" No John , we don't have to talk,"Calleigh returned as she continued to stare forward.

" C'mon, Calleigh, it's been years since that incident, you have got to let it go," Hagen said as he reached to touch her cheek.

" What incident are you talking about John? The one where you tried to rape me, or the one where my husband died? Those are the only things that I can remember ..."

" He's dead Calleigh, he's not coming back."

" It's only been two years, John, and you make a play for me?That's just bad form,"Calleigh spat as the elevator opened. She sighed with relief and began to step on to it, but then feeling his touch as he held on to her arm. " John, let me go."

" Cal, I can't . I have to have you..."

" You better remember what I do for a living," Calleigh said as she snatched from his grip and stepped on to the elevator. " Now if you would excuse me."

With that, Calleigh watched as the elevator doors slid shut, disconnecting her from him.

TSJ

Sitting at his drum set, Timothy twirled the wooden sticks between his fingers as he attempted to decide whether to strike the set or to toss them across the room. Usually , when he wanted to clear his mind, the music room is where he found himself. The music room was what used to be half his father's home office and two corners where Timothy's drum set was set up and his father's piano was. He had gotten the set for his tenth birthday, and had progressed very well over the years. He practiced often when his dad was sitting at his desk on the computer and watched with a smile on his face as he bobbed his head to the thumping of the drum beats. When he mastered combinations, his father was the first to congratulate him, then offered to accompany him on the piano. They would sit in the office/ music room for hours, jamming off of one another. Almost all the time that Timothy spent with his father in this room, he noticed keenly as he never finished what work he had set to do.

Timothy glanced at the photograph on the wall next to him and smiled faintly. It was a picture of him and his dad taken as they played together. He was astonished at how much he looked like his father, same build, same dark wavy hair, same warm brown eyes and the same killer smile. As he thought about him more, the twirling became faster, until he found himself striking the set setting up combinations and feeling his sadness take root. He played hard, glancing over to the piano that was long dormant, and then retained his focus back onto the drum heads. The faster he played, the more combinations he connected, the more the tears came. _This isn't right, he should be here_, he thought as he thumped on the bass. Taking a breather , he tapped on the hi hat, and tried to steady his breathing. His therapy today was helping him expel his endless grief. After the pause , he again assaulted the drum heads with such intensity, he wondered if he was going to burst one. When he finished he heard the printer as it started to print what he had just played. He tossed the sticks to the floor as he got up from the set and crossed the room to his father's desk. Looking at the music sheet, he followed the Tantric notes that he had played, using his hands as the now discarded drumsticks. He was satisfied at the product of his sadness and he logged off his music program and turned off the printer. As he sat, he saw the wallpaper come up on his desktop and he felt the anger return. Instead of his favorite photo of his father, he saw a island scape. Cursing to himself, he immediately knew who had been in here and he had told her to stay out. He quickly retrieved the photo and put it in it's rightful place on his desktop and sat back.

" You would've loved today's piece , dad," Timothy quietly said to the picture. He then looked in the desk and pulled out a leather bound notebook and a pen. Meticulously, he wrote the date , time and his name on the piece. He sat for a moment, again staring at the picture of his father smiling broadly at something off camera, and thought of a title. Instantly, one came to mind, and it fit how he felt today. " I'm going to call this one, Undone," he said as he wrote it neatly on the top of the page. Smiling, he bound it neatly with the others and closed the notebook and slid it back into the desk. Wanting to get up, he found himself unable to tear away from the picture. How he missed his dad. He sat like that for an hour, not feeling the need to leave him, just yet.

TBC?

A/N: I felt a little angsty today so this is my product :) R& R please, and let me know if I should continue...


	2. Confronting the Ghost

Left Undone

Chapter 2- Confronting the ghost

Calleigh pulled into the driveway, seeing the bright yellow Ducati parked to the side. She closed her eyes, squeezing them tightly, as she remembered the day that Tim had taught their son the basics of riding. She was petrified when she saw her fourteen year old son perched upon the machine, but she watched them intently, noticing how thorough Tim was being , especially about the safety issues. It came as no surprise to her when Junior had come home one day with a license for it, two solid days after his sixteenth birthday. He told her in so many words that the bike was his, and he was going to ride it, with or without her permission. She remembered the anger that he held when he spoke to her, and she wasn't surprised at that either. She knew deep down that he held her responsible for his father's death. Despite many attempts to regain control over her son, Calleigh had finally given up on the prospects of having a close relationship with him, and regulated herself to be the disciplinarian, but that wasn't faring well either.

She opened the door, hearing nothing but silence and closed the door behind her. The door to the office was ajar and she walked over to it, noticing that it was empty. Closing the door, she heard a door close upstairs, and she walked quickly to the stair way, seeing him coming down the stairs. He bounded past her, heading for the door, without even speaking to her. She turned on her heels quickly to stop him.

" Junior, where do you think you are going?"

"Out," he said simply, not turning around.

" You have some explaining to do mister. What's this about you cussing out your teacher?"

" It slipped out," he replied as he dropped his hand from the knob, exhaling heavily.

" Right, just like when you cursed at your Calculus teacher. Or when you got into that fight, I supposed that slipped too? What are you doing , Junior? You are failing the majority of your classes, you don't respect your teachers, me. Do you think that your father would like what you are doing?"

" Well he's not here is he?" Timothy said with anger in his voice. He placed his hand on the door knob and started to turn it , when he felt his mother behind him. She roughly put her hands on his shoulders, which was a feat in its self, considering that he was a good four inches taller than her, and turned him to face her. The warmness that used to be in his eyes were no longer there as he glared at her, through his grief stricken soul. It took her by surprise, but she stilled herself again, gaining her authoritive voice.

" Now you wait one damn minute. He may not be here, but I am still your mother, and Timothy, you are going to start respecting me," Calleigh said with fury in her eyes. She held on to his arms tightly, feeling the strain on her hands as tears threatened to surface.

" Why should I, you let him die," Timothy returned as he shrugged from his mother's grip.

"Timothy, I didn't let him die,..." Calleigh tried to say as the tears became more apparent.

" You didn't help him, you are a fucking firearms expert, mom. He was your husband, you could've checked his gun. You could've bugged the shit out of him until he did, you could've done something, but you did nothing. You killed him," he said as he turned and walked out of the door.

" Tim,..."

" Don't wait up," he called out to her as he mounted the yellow Ducati and started it.

Calleigh watched him as he walked the bike backwards out of the drive way and sped off down the street, with the tears streaming down her face. She was alone.

TSJ

Timothy rode the bike through Miami, really not wanting to stop. If he could, he would keep riding, following the road where ever it led him. But something was keeping him here, he didn't know if it was his grief , or something that he had yet to do, but he was unable to act upon his desires.

Noticing that the bike was flirting with empty, he pulled over at the next gas station that he saw and filled it up. As he stood in line, he saw a tall man with stark white short hair and chestnut brown skin, looking at him. The man's light blue eyes gave him an intense vibe and Timothy glanced away from him, but still feeling the piercing look. Timothy paid for the gas quickly and walked back to the Ducati. Before he could get on, he saw the man as he walked up to him with a confused look on his face. Timothy glanced nervously around him to see if anyone else was around and he noticed that he was in fact the sole person at the pumps. He backed up against the bike, as the man stood in front of him, and peered at him with those truth seeking eyes. They reminded Timothy of Horatio's own blue eyes.

" Hey there, young man, forgive me , but I know you from somewhere," the man said as he pointed to him.

" Uh, I'm sorry mister, you've got the wrong person," Timothy stammered. His heart raced a mile a minute as he recalled the stories his 'Uncle' Eric used to tell of the violence he saw on the job.

"No, no. I know I've seen you somewhere. Are you a cop?"

" No, I'm only sixteen."

"Sixteen? And riding a sweet thing like this?" the man said as he glanced behind Timothy. " This had to put your parents back about fifty grand."

Timothy smiled and shook his head, " It's my dads."

" Your dad is an understanding man," the man said as he smiled with his eyes.

Timothy dropped his eyes slightly and nodded, saying quietly, " Yeah, he understood me..."

" What was that?" the man asked.

" Nothing. So ,do you ride?" Timothy asked as he lifted his eyes to him again. His fear had abated and he now felt an easy calm as he shifted his weight slightly.

" Not often, but today, is an exception," he said as he pointed to the newer version of the Ducati he was standing in front of. His was dark purple, standing like royalty ,by itself. Timothy felt his mouth drop open as the man laughed, " This one put me back that fifty grand. Yours, I thought was like mine, but I can see the different modifications on the cockpit. Mine is higher than yours. Your dad keeps it spotless. He loves his bike doesn't he?"

Timothy again dropped his head, feeling the anguish of talking about his father as if he was still living. This was something that he had held dear to him, talking about motorcycles, and he was here at a gas station , with a complete stranger, instead of with his father.

" Um, my father died two years ago," Timothy said as he cleared his throat roughly. It was hard for him to verbalize that , every time the words cut him deeply.

" Oh, I'm sorry young man," the man said as he glanced at the bike again.

" No, that's alright," Timothy said as he smiled slightly. There was silence for a moment as the wind picked up slightly tossing his dark hair around.

The man extended his hand in an effort to break the awkward silence, " The name's Malcolm. Malcolm Highsmith. But people usually call me H."

Timothy took his hand and pumped it, smiling at the irony of the man's nickname, yet another tie to Horatio. He returned by introducing himself , " I'm Timothy Speedle..."

H did a double take and smiled wider, thereby pumping Timothy's hand more, " Speed? You got to be kidding me!"

" What?" Timothy asked , puzzled.

" That's why I thought I knew you! You are a splitting image Speed. He's your dad, right?"

" Yeah, but how'd..."

" I've known Speed for years now. He helped me out when my music shop got broken into. He found the punks that did it and sent them away. Afterwards, he started to drop in, and we'd ride our Ducatis together . He even brought a complete drum set from me,...Um ...about six years ago."

" He brought that from you?" Timothy asked as he thought warmly about his drum set at home.

" Yeah, I didn't see him much after that, with the exception of him coming to the club that I own. Sometimes he would even sit in with the band. He could play a mean piano," H said as he reminisced . " You said he died two years ago?"

" Yeah, in a shootout."

" Pity. That man was too good for this earth. Even when he wasn't on duty, he helped out in the smallest ways." H replied with a hint of solemn.

Timothy sighed and felt the sadness as it tried to creep up on him again. H noticed and put an arm on his shoulder, smiling.

" You want to come by the shop? I've got two more of these," he asked lightly as he gestured to the Ducati.

Timothy thought about it for a moment , then nodded his head, feeling the sadness retreat, " Two more?Sure, I've got no where to be."

" Good, follow me then," H said as he turned to walk away. " Try not to shake me on the causeway. If you are anything like your dad, he always liked to race me there."

Timothy smiled knowingly; he loved to put the bike through the ringer on the causeway, solely because of the liberating feel of no stop lights. He straddled the bike and started it, waiting for the purple Ducati to pass. As it did, Timothy let go of the clutch and followed beside H, feeling for the most part, as the sadness was no longer there.

TBC...


	3. Unraveling

Left Undone

Chapter 3 - Unraveling

Calleigh sat at her desk with her head in her hands, unable to focus on what was in front of her. Instead, her mind kept replaying what her son had said to her in the heat of the moment,

_" Why should I, you let him die..._.

She couldn't help but think that Timothy was right, she could've done something, but she didn't. It stung her to hear that from her son, she had loved Tim with all of her heart , and she could never hurt him, but by staying quiet and doing nothing, that is exactly what she did. She killed her own husband.

The door opened to the lab, startling Calleigh and she quickly wiped the tears from her face. It couldn't be let known that she was still doing this to herself. She turned to see Horatio standing just inside the lab, his hands made busy with the black sunglasses that he carried with him. He had a look of sorrow as he glanced at her then down to the floor. His was very similar to Calleigh's, in that he felt like he had let him down. He , after all ,was there when Tim was shot and he had watched his life slowly drift away. If only he had been more prepared, more aware, Tim perhaps would still be here.

" How are we coming with the samples?" Horatio asked in a hushed tone. The atmosphere in the room had been delicate and he debated whether to invade her solitude.

"Um, they're coming along," Calleigh sniffed as she continued to wipe her eyes. When she had gotten herself somewhat together, she brought a smile to her face as she reported what was found at the club. "Ryan and I found a contact in the water bowl at the club. I think it belonged to our vic. She was missing one on the plane trip."

Horatio nodded and smiled lightly, keeping his lips pursed tightly, " Good, good. How are you doing?"

" There's a lot more to test, I've got to get Cynthia the checks that were found in the plane to check for forgery, then I want to go and talk to ..."

" Calleigh, take it easy," Horatio said as he walked up to her. Up close he could see the toll that her life, her stresses were taking on her. His heart sunk at the memory of Tim's autopsy.

" Horatio, I have a lot of work to do."

" Yes, we all have work to do, but Calleigh, what good would it do if you go through this evidence with all that is troubling you? You could be inadvertently compromising the case."

"Are you saying you want me off of the case?" Calleigh asked , " I can assure you , Horatio , that I've been no less than committed to this."

" I know that, but Calleigh, sometimes we have to take a minute to let the blood start flowing again."

Calleigh knew exactly what he was talking about. Every since Tim , Calleigh had turned off every emotion, every hint of laughter, of enjoyment, all of it. She stuffed it deep inside of her, feeling no need to use them anymore. The love of her life was no longer around to enjoy it and she didn't have the strength nor the desire to invest it into someone else.

" I know, Horatio, it's just hard," Calleigh said as her eyes began to crinkle. She didn't want to cry in front of him. " Every moment that I have, I think of Tim, of what I lost that day in the jewelry store, and I feel like I can't go on. What's more is that Junior isn't doing his best, and he blames me for what happened to his father. I feel like I'm unraveling at the seams."

Horatio put a comforting hand on her shoulder as the tears finally appeared , dropping on to the table. This was brutal to experience, grieving that seemed to have no end. No matter what Horatio said to her, it wouldn't change anything. She would still blame herself and she would still carry around her regrets and guilt.

" What's been going on with Timothy?"

" He's failing his classes, and he cursed out a teacher today before walking out. The respect isn't there, he comes and goes when he pleases. I don't know what to do with him anymore, Horatio. I've lost control ."

By this time Calleigh was weeping at full tilt , and Horatio reached into his jacket pocket to retrieve a handkerchief , offering it to her. As raw as this felt , he knew that it was good for her to get this out.

" How about I talk to him?"

Calleigh looked up to him with questioned eyes and shook her head, " This is my problem, Horatio. I shouldn't drag you into it."

" You are not dragging me into anything, Calleigh. Speed, ... Speed was like a son to me, and Tim jr ... I feel like it's something I have to do. For Speed," Horatio replied quietly. Calleigh continued to look at him, seeing what he thought he could hide from others.

" Horatio, there was nothing you could've done to save him, it was a kill shot. Even if you did try to stem the blood, he would've bled out any way."

" But I was his supervisor, I could've done something ... suspended him ... reprimanded him, something to let him know that his gun maintenance was serious business. But I chose not to, and he suffered."

" We all let him down, Horatio. Those that loved him, who were closest to him, by just letting this go on, we all had a part in his death. It's just too much for some of us to bear I guess," Calleigh rationalized.

" Just the same, Calleigh, I want to talk to him. Maybe if he got it from a man's point of view, he would receive it better."

Calleigh finally conceded and nodded her head slowly, " Okay, Horatio. But if you want to talk to him, you are going to have to find him. He split after out little 'discussion'. I don't know where he is."

" Don't worry about that, Calleigh, I'll find him. Now what's this business about Hagen? Did he assault you?"

Calleigh tried to hold in her surprise, but was failing at it. How could Horatio have possibly known about what happened, she was alone with him in the corridor.

" No, I got away from him before it could escalate. I think he's got the picture," Calleigh responded, hoping that she was exuding the strength that she once had.

" Let me know if he approaches you again," Horatio said as he turned to leave. He stopped at the door with his back to her. He felt like he had started inroads to make amends for what had happened, " You hang in there ,okay?"

Calleigh nodded, feeling a fresh round of tears starting behind her lids. He had said the same thing to her right before Tim's funeral, the memory burning through her mind, " I will, Horatio. Thanks."

With that, Horatio pushed through the doors of the firearms lab, heading for the elevators. Once in the sanctity of the small space, Horatio wiped the tears from his eyes. His own memories of Speed still haunting him.

TSJ

Timothy eyed H as he shoved the key into the knob and fought to open the door. When he burst into the small store, Timothy eyes went wide as he saw the antique musical instruments that were in glass cases. The modern instruments were displayed throughout the store, but the antique ones were the obvious favorites. He walked through the store silently, seeing old clippings about different musicians, some dating back to the thirties. Timothy glanced back at H, noting that he was way too young to have clipped this out of the paper then turned his attention back to the clippings. They covered the wall, the old intermingling with the new, giving the store an historical feeling. As he continued to scan through the various clippings, his eyes froze on one picture. It was his dad. Timothy walked up to the board, reaching out to touch the clipping as he read the byline.

" Local police help rebuild antique music store," Timothy read softly. He continued to look at the picture of his dad sitting at the piano, smiling.

" I told you that he was the greatest on or off duty," H said as he came behind Timothy. " He loved to play the piano."

" I know. He had a tough job, so the piano helped him to relieve what he saw daily. Just like the drums does for me."

"So he brought the set for you? You any good?"

"I'm okay. I practiced everyday the first week that I got it. It was never work for me, I enjoyed it. He made it fun."

" He had a way of doing that," H said as he reminisced. " A lot of people saw the sarcastic side of him, but I saw a different side , a side that he didn't trust with many people. When he came around, he was happy, talkative. He said that people thought that he was a smug, sarcastic son of gun, and he was happy to let them keep on thinking that."

" Yeah, that sounds like him," Timothy said as he finally broke his gaze with the clipping and walked over to the supplies. He eyed the new drumsticks, and thought of his worn out ones at home. H passed him and walked behind the counter and took them out.

" You need new sticks?"

" Mine are kinda worn out. How much are they?"

" Twenty bucks. But for Speed's kid, nothing," H said as he handed the sticks over to Timothy, who took them. He twirled them in his fingers a moment then stopped. He then turned them over back to H, shaking his head.

" No, I can't."

" Why not? It's a gift," H said as he put a hand up to push the sticks away.

" I want to earn the things that I get. I don't like hand outs."

" Earn , huh?" H said as he smirked at him, " As you can see, the place is in need of help. How about I give you a job, and your first payment will be these sticks."

" A job?" Timothy asked as he looked H in the eyes. Almost thirty minutes ago, he was a stranger to this man, now he was being offered a job, something he'd been wanting since turning sixteen.

" Yeah, sure. You can come in after school and help me clean up the place and look after it . Whaddya say?"

Tim thought about it for a moment then nodded his head vigorously. He could definitely use something to keep himself busy.

" I'll take it."

" Good, and maybe on the weekends, you can come by the club and watch me play."

" Play? What do you play?"

" An assortment , but I favor the piano."

" You're kidding me, right?" Timothy said as he smiled widely. " You any good?"

" You want to find out?" H said as he walked from behind the counter top. " The club is right across the street over there. I got a piano and a drum set on stage right now. You game?"

" Are you sure you can keep up?" Timothy quipped.

" I thought you said that you were just okay," H said as he walked quickly to the door. He had waited for so long to get back behind the ivory white keys.

" I was being humble," Timothy quipped as he followed him out the door.

" Sounds like you are being boastful to me," H returned, smirking as they crossed the street. Getting there, H quickly unlocked the door and opened it, turning on the lights as he closed the door behind Timothy and locking it.

Timothy let his eyes roam the building, seeing several chairs and tables scattered through out the vast room. He walked into the middle of the room noticing the bar to his left and a darkened stage in front of him. He looked to the piano, imaging his father sitting behind it , playing. He smiled , feeling a stinging behind his eyes, as the lights popped on the stage. Wiping his eyes, he saw the sterling white drum set, gleaming in the spotlight.

" Okay, Krupa, you ready?" H said as he stood beside him. Timothy took off his jacket and walked up to the stage with his new sticks in hand. He marveled at the set for a second before he took his seat behind it.

" Anything in particular?" Timothy asked as he twirled the sticks in his fingers, his eyes closed.

" Whatever you can pull out, I'll follow," H said as he lifted the cover of the piano. He stretched his long fingers and watched the young man as he continued to twirl , with his eyes closed. When Timothy lifted his head, H knew that he was ready.

Timothy began slowly, hearing the piece that he had just made that afternoon. Soon he heard the piano accompanying and he closed his eyes against the tears that had formed behind his eyelids. He squeezed his eyes harder, making the tears drop out of them, blazing a trail down his face. He hadn't heard a piano mixed with his drums since his father had died. H followed his beats effortlessly, as his fingers lightly danced over the keys. They played for almost an hour, changing up songs without even stopping. When they were finished, Timothy was sweating profusely, but he felt like a million bucks. Playing with H on the piano, had completed him.

H walked over to the bar and grabbed two bottles of water and a towel for Timothy. Timothy took the bottle and the towel and nodded his thanks.

" I stand corrected," H said as he opened the bottle, " You are more than just okay. That was fantastic. Have you ever written any music?"

" My dad brought me a computer program that writes the music as I play. I have a notebook full of pieces that I have done. Just foolin' around."

" That what you did up there, was not just foolin' around , Speed. That was pure genius," H said as he took a swig of the water.

Timothy dropped his head suddenly and gazed at the floor, the pain of sadness creeping up on him.

" Hey, what's the matter? It's true..."

"It's nothing , really," Timothy continued. " It's just that no one has ever called me Speed. That was my father's nickname."

" I'm sorry, kid. I didn't mean to..."

" No , H, it's alright, I kind of like it," Timothy said as he finally looked up at him.

" The way that you played those drums, I'd say that it fits you ," H said smiling at the young man ,"just like it fit your dad."

" Well I am his son," Timothy returned , a little sarcastically , as he took a drink. He hadn't felt this good in years. He liked the feeling that had surfaced, it made him viable again. He looked at his watch and then to the darkness that had permeated the Miami skyline and jumped up quickly.

" Hey , where's the fire?"

" I gotta go, my mom's gonna have a cow," Timothy said as he raced to his jacket and put it on quickly. He held the sticks tightly in his hand as he glanced back at H , who had gotten up and walked off the stage, " See ya tomorrow?"

" Yeah. What time do you get out of school?"

" Whenever," Timothy said shrugging his shoulders.

" Whenever? Sounds like you're cutting class. That ain't right," H said as he shook his head.

" I don't happen to like school at the moment," Timothy replied as he smirked.

" No more cutting class, Speed. You wanna work here, you gonna do it right."

" H,..."

" I'm serious man. You've got to get your education. It's the most important thing you'll ever do."

Timothy chuckled lightly at this conversation. This would be something that a father would say to his son. But he conceded and nodded his head, " Alright, alright, my last class is dismissed at three."

" Then be here at three fifteen," H said as he opened the door and held it. " Any earlier and it's lights out."

Timothy laughed and paused to look at him, then offering his hand, " Thanks , H."

" Hey, don't mention it, Speed. See you tomorrow. And be careful going home."

" Maybe tomorrow, I can see the other Ducatis," Timothy said as he let his hand go.

"Oh, yeah. I completely forgot about that. Yeah, I'll show you my babies before you get to work."

Timothy smiled widely and walked out the door, feeling like the world had been lifted off of his shoulders. He started his bike and raced through the streets of Miami, hoping that his mother would still be at work.

TSJ

Calleigh sat in the darkened living room, as the television played, her attention obviously somewhere else. She had come home from the lab later on in the evening to see that Timothy had not come back. As she sat on the couch, her emotions at first ranged from calm, to angry when she noticed how late it was, then finally to worry. He had never been out this late, even on the worst of occasions. With her legs tucked in behind her, she had tried to watch the tv , but her concern for her son had outweighed the forensics show that she had found, and she abandoned the attempt at following it. Sitting in her solitude, she felt her heart breaking at the thought of the conversation, her son's words being etched on her brain.

_" you let him die..."_

Calleigh wiped the tears as she spoke out, her voice seeming loud in her own ears, " Oh Tim, I'm sorry, so sorry..."

Soon ,she heard the familiar sounds of the Ducati's engine as it pulled up the drive way. Calleigh bolted out of her seat and raced to the door, opening it, just as he was putting his key in the lock. She furiously switched on the light as he entered the home, thankful that he was alright.

" Timothy James Speedle, where the hell have you been? Do you know what time it is?" Calleigh asked as she glared at her son. Something in his eyes had caught her attention.

" I told you that I was going out, mom," he returned easily.

" Yes, but I expected you at a decent hour. Honestly, Timothy, I don't know what to do with you anymore. I've tried my best..."

" Mom, I'm sorry," he said as he gazed into her eyes. Calleigh was genuinely shocked when she saw the softness of his eyes and as the warmness, that had vacated long ago, returned. It was a far cry from what she had experienced earlier. " I've got to get to bed, school in the morning you know."

"Timothy, ..."

" Mom, I'm tired. Can I just go to bed?"

"No, I want to talk about this," Calleigh said as she put her hands to her hips.

" Tomorrow, mom. I promise, we'll talk," he replied as he started to ascend the stairs.

" Horatio asked to speak with you about what's been going on. I expect that you will do so."

"Mom,..."

" Enough, I want you to meet with him after school tomorrow."

" After school? Can't it wait until tomorrow night? I've got something to do," Timothy said as he stopped on the stairs.

" After school, tomorrow, got it?"

Timothy nodded his head and went upstairs , leaving a stunned Calleigh staring up at the empty stairs. What had just happened?

TBC...

A/N: for those that didn't know, Krupa is Gene Krupa, a kick ass drummer from the forties and fifties. He is what some would call the best. I just happened to agree:) R&R please...


	4. Rebirth

Left Undone

Chapter 4-Re birth

The next morning, Timothy bounded down the stairs dressed and with his book bag. Last night, as he played with H at the club, he felt like he was being reborn. The sadness had quieted some, but he knew that as much as he enjoyed it, that the sadness would never completely leave him. The truth of the matter was that his father was dead, but as he laid in bed before drifting off to sleep, he realized that he was doing his father's legacy a serious disservice. Before he closed his eyes, he promised his dad that he would get his act together, and start living.

Calleigh came from the kitchen , glancing at her watch, with a cup of coffee in her hand. She had a look of confusion as he planted a kiss on her cheek before venturing into the refrigerator for a bottle of apple juice.

" Timothy, what are you doing up so early?" Calleigh said as she turned to face him.

" I've got school..."

" You usually don't roll out of bed until fifteen til eight. Is everything okay?"

" Yeah, I thought that I'd take some time to talk to you before you left for work," Timothy said as he unscrewed the top . " I've got a lot of explaining to do."

"If you are doing this in an attempt to get out of talking with Horatio, then you can forget it buster," Calleigh returned sternly.

" It's not like that mom. I really want to apologize for what I've done these past two years. I know I've been a pain in the ass..."

Calleigh peered at his eyes to make sure that he wasn't stoned and shook her head, " What kind of trouble are you in?"

" Mom, I'm not in any trouble, really. I just realized last night that there are things that I should be doing instead of wasting my time and energy on being angry. I shouldn't have said what I said about you. I know you loved dad... I was being a jack ass."

Calleigh stepped back and gazed at him. Was this the same boy that stood in her face just yesterday and accused her of murdering his father? Calleigh was about to say something when her cell phone rang. Timothy turned to the cabinet to snatch something quick to eat. When she was finished, she walked to the sink and place the cup down.

" Hey mom, do you think that I could talk to Horatio this morning? I don't have to be at school until eight . I have something really important to do after school."

" I don't know, Timothy."

"C'mon mom, you know that Horatio gets there before the sun comes up," Timothy said with a little smirk.

Calleigh felt a smile coming at the sight of her son's new attitude. It had been a while since he had addressed her in any way, much less in a respectful way, so she had to wonder what had happened to him.

" What did you get into yesterday?" Calleigh asked as her accent slipped.

" Nothing really," Timothy said as he dropped his head. He didn't want her to know just yet that he had gotten a job, he wanted to surprise her.

Calleigh studied her son for a moment longer, seeing the light that had returned inside of him. Whatever it was, she was thankful.

"Alright, Junior, I don't see why you can't talk to him. But I don't want you to be late for school," Calleigh warned as she grabbed her bag. He followed her out of the house and stood next to the Ducati, slipping on his back pack. The sun had barely rose above the horizon and a slight chill was in the air making Timothy shudder somewhat. He watched his mother as she got into her silver Crossfire and started the engine. He did the same and glanced over to her with a wicked smile on his face. " Race you there?"

" Not on your life Junior. Be careful on the causeway," Calleigh said as she slipped on her sunglasses. She then flipped the visor down to check her makeup in the mirror. On the inside of the flap, she kept a picture of Tim. She smiled lightly as she touched it and flipped the visor up quickly. " And put your helmet on."

" Yes mom. See you there," Timothy said as he backed the bike out of the driveway, and raced off in the direction of the CSI lab. Calleigh did the same and flipped the visor back down as she pulled away.

" There's something going on with your son, Timmy," she said as she drove down the street. The day had an interesting but pleasant start, and Calleigh had only wished that it would get better.

TSJ

Timothy walked into the building with his helmet tucked neatly under his arm, heading straight for the desk sergeant. He smiled at Paula as she looked up at him with surprise, he had made it a point not to come to the lab, it being a part of his grief. This is where his dad spent most of his time and Timothy hadn't been able to forgive it for that.

" Well ,well , look what the cat drugged in," Paula said sweetly, " Timothy, I haven't seen you in so long. How have you been?"

" Okay, going through some issues. Is Horatio here?" Timothy asked as Paula shot him a furrowed brow, " I know, silly question."

" Yeah, it is. You know where to find him," Paula said handing him the visitors pass. Timothy signed his name on the log in and smiled back at her.

"Thanks , Paula."

Paula smiled broadly at the sixteen year old and nodded. She was awestruck at just how much he looked like his father. Timothy walked quickly to the bank of elevators as he heard his mother walking in the door, greeting Paula. He held the elevator for her, as she trotted to join him.

" Let me see, if I can remember straight, firearms is on the ground floor?" Timothy asked as he eyed the key pad.

" No, you must be thinking of Alexx, I've been moved to the second floor," Calleigh said as she pressed the second floor button. " That's right, you haven't been here since the new changes."

" Yeah, I saw all the windows. A bit too much."

" Well this is Miami," Calleigh said as the elevator came to a stop. She moved to get out and Timothy caught her with a kiss on the cheek. Shocked, she touched it and smiled, " What was that for?"

" Have a good day , mom. Be careful," Timothy said as the doors slid closed. He pressed the third floor button, knowing exactly where he was going now. To the trace lab floor. He felt his heart start to flutter as he pressed the button. He hadn't been here since his father had died, and he now wondered what it would feel like to see someone working in the place of him.

As the elevator doors slid open, he walked out and instantly saw someone standing in the trace lab. He went to the door and watched the man as he prepared samples for the mass spec. For a moment , Timothy lost himself in memories of coming here when his father was still alive, being his little helper in the lab.

_"Dad, why do you shake them before you put them in there?"_

_"I don't know , son, I just do. It's a habit. Can you pass me the extractor..."_

_" Extractor?..."_

_" Yeah, the thing that looks like a long turkey baster.."_

" Excuse me, is there something that I can help you with?" a voice said from beside him.

Timothy looked to his side quickly , seeing the man that had been in the trace lab, as he poked his head out of the door. Timothy saw his name stitched onto his white lab coat, A Peters.

" You work trace?"

" Yeah, I do. I've had some big shoes to fill though. Speed was the master of this universe," Peters said as he continued to watch the young man. " You know, you look an awful lot alike him."

" I'm his son," Tim said as he extended his hand, " Timothy Speedle, Junior."

" So another Speed," Peters said as he took his hand. " You going to do what your old man did?"

Timothy thought about it, then dropped his hand. The memory of his father's funeral hung in his mind as he heard the echos of the 21 gun salute. " I don't know, we'll have to see."

Peters nodded and then turned his attention to the mass spec which spit out a report, " I gotta get back to this, but hey, it was nice meeting you, Timothy."

" Same here,..."

" Aaron. Aaron Peters."

"Aaron. See you around," Timothy said as he turned to Horatio's office. He saw the outline of the man as he stood at his desk. As Aaron disappeared back into trace, Timothy heard a familiar voice behind him.

" Timmy Jay, I know that you weren't going to come in the lab and not see me," Alexx said as he turned to face her. She had a bright smile on her face as she grabbed him and pulled him into a tight embrace. It had been six months since he had last seen her. " It has been too long."

" Yeah, Alexx, it has . I'm sorry about that."

" Don't sweat it baby. We all have our issues to figure out. How have you been?" Alexx asked innocently. She knew exactly how he had been, because she had done her fair share of comforting Calleigh .

" I think you know already, Alexx."

" I do, I just want to hear it from you," Alexx replied as she stared at him. When she heard how he was acting, she had wanted to talk to him personally, but Calleigh didn't think it was such a good idea so she let it go. But when she made her weekly trips to the cemetery, she let Timmy know what was going on with his son.

" Yes, I was being an complete ass," Timothy said as he looked back at her. " But I'm getting better . Matter of fact, I'm going to talk to Horatio right now."

Alexx smiled again and squeezed his cheeks, " You have your father's stubborn streak ,but I knew you come around. I gotta go Timmy Jay , be good in school."

" Yes mom," Timothy returned. He saw the slight notion of sadness as it appeared quickly then vanished. _Memories_, Timothy said to himself.

He waited until she got around the corner before he ascended the stairs to Horatio's office. He would definitely have to reconnect to the second most important woman in his father's life. Timothy knocked on the door softly, straining to hear as Horatio gave the command to enter. He opened the door to the office, seeing Horatio standing at the front of his desk, dressed in a black suit and a black button up. Timothy could see that he too was still grieving.

" Timothy, come in," Horatio said as he gestured to the chairs. " I know that you have to get to school , so hopefully this will be brief."

Timothy sat in a chair and watched Horatio as he put his hands on his hips. He had seen him interrogate suspects and he always said that he never wanted to know what that felt like. Now suddenly, he found himself in that position.

" Timothy, I know it's been a hard time, but I really think that you need to have someone to talk to when you feel like you're angry. Lashing out at your mother will not bring your father back, and it makes her feel awful. Do you think that your dad would want you to hurt your mother?"

" I know he wouldn't Horatio, and I've apologized to her for that. It's just that his death consumed me to the point where I lost myself. I didn't know what I wanted to do, or if I wanted to be around anyone. But now, I have a different out look."

"Really? And what might that be?"

" I kinda want to keep it under wraps for now, but I promise that it's nothing bad. I found something out yesterday that's going to help me cope better."

Horatio nodded as he looked Timothy in the eyes. By looking there, he could tell if the teen was just telling him something that he wanted to hear ,or if he really believed what he was saying. He believed every word that Timothy said.

" I believe you, Timothy. Just know that you have people you can talk to when you need to."

Timothy nodded and stood up as he glanced at his watch, " I do ,and thank you, Horatio."

" You're welcome, Timothy. Now get going, it's twenty till eight. Don't speed..."

Timothy again noticed the sadness that revealed its self when Horatio said that. He really didn't know how bad everyone else was hurting. He was only concerned about what he had been going through. Timothy reached out to Horatio and took him in a hug. For the most part , he knew the red head as grandpa number two, being that he and his father were close. After the hug, Timothy noticed the slight smile that slowly crept about Horatio's face. It was then and there that he knew that he had to do right from this point on.

TBC...


	5. A Chance Meeting

Left Undone

Chapter 5

Timothy sat through his last period class , anxiously awaiting for the bell to ring, liberating him to go to the shop. He could think of nothing else the entire day, almost not being able to retain his focus on what the teachers were saying . The biology teacher watched him all period , obviously shocked to see him sitting there working on an assignment. Before he walked out of the class, she stopped him, searching the boy for any evidence of what transpired between them the previous day.

" Timothy, is everything okay?"

" Yes, Mrs. Baxter. I just wanted to know if there was some extra credit I could do to try and salvage my grades."

She looked at him intently, a smile threatening to over take her face. She had secretly wondered if the brilliant teen would come back to her. " Timothy, you've fallen behind severely."

" I know, but there's got to be something that I can do," Timothy said as the students filed past him. He noticed one , a honey skinned girl with light blue eyes and long brown hair. Her eyes sparkled at him as she held his gaze walking out of the door.

" Timothy, it's difficult but not impossible. There are some things that you can do to help bring your grade up. Being that this is AP, if you can get it up you won't lose your college credits."

" I'm willing to work at it Mrs. Baxter," Timothy said as his mind was still on the girl that passed. He couldn't for the life of him remember her name, and her beauty was burned into his mind.

" Just as long as you know that it isn't going to be easy. You've had all the fun you can afford. Come by and see me tomorrow before class, and we can discuss this," Mrs. Baxter said as she closed her book. Whatever happened to Timothy Speedle, she was happy that it brought him back to life.

Timothy nodded as he grabbed his books and raced out of the room, hoping to see the girl, but finding that she had disappeared amongst the sea of kids as they milled about, free from the confines of school for the afternoon. He made his way to his locker and opened it quickly as he glanced at his watch, 3:05. He had ten minutes to get to the shop, and he didn't want to be late for his first day of work.

As he closed the locker, he was startled by his friends that were standing on the opposite side of the locker with a look of mischief in their eyes. He had started hanging with them shortly after his father had died, knowing what type of crowd they were, but at that point he didn't care. He just wanted to get away from the life he once knew. They provided him with the means to escape his prison of sorrow, only to be put into another one, and soon he found himself unable to shed them. Even when they started vandalizing buildings , cutting class regularly, and beating up people, Timothy just couldn't seem to shake them off. It was as if he felt like he owed them something for taking him from his grief. Now as he eyed his watch again nervously, he wished that he had gotten rid of them.

" So, Speed, what are we going to do today?" Cooper Royston asked as he placed a hand on the locker next to Timothy. Timothy shot him an aggravated look and shook his head.

" How many times have I told you not to call me that?" Timothy returned angrily. They had made it a habit to call him that when they first met, and Timothy , until yesterday, had hated it. Yesterday had changed everything, and he didn't want these clowns to have anything to do with it.

" Alright, chill dude. I was thinking that we would ride down to the Tamani trail..."

" I got something to do," Timothy said quickly as he tried to move.

" And you didn't include us?" Tommy Peterson chimed in. He stood behind Cooper and flashed a goofy grin. He was obviously the follower.

" I didn't know I had to babysit today," Timothy replied sarcastically as he moved again. Cooper put a hand out to stop him, causing Timothy to stare at him with more irritation. He didn't like to fight , but it was in him.

" Now you wouldn't be running out on us would you, Timmy?"

" You guys? Not at all..." he returned smugly. " Now if you'd excuse me."

" Oh ,excuse me," Cooper mocked as he moved away from the lockers. Timothy continued to glare at him and shook his head as he walked . " Please don't tell me that you are going to be a punk ass like your pop..."

Timothy stopped in his tracks and turned around, not hearing anything else that was going on around him. He focused his attention on Cooper as the boy chuckled heartily . He was seeing red. His impulses told him to knock his head off, but his mind reflected back on what his father had told him in the past about fighting...

" _Now what are you to do if some idiot wants to provoke you into a fight?_

_" I turn and walk away. But dad, won't I be labeled as a wuss?"_

_" It takes a strong man to walk away from a conflict, Junior. The weakest ones always make as ass out of themselves_."

Timothy smiled to himself as he turned and walked away. He could hear the other two boys as they started to laugh at the diss that Cooper had been dealt. Cooper had just been made an ass.

TSJ

Timothy parked his bike quickly in the back of the store and slung the back pack over his shoulder, knowing that this couldn't be good. He had spent almost ten minutes with those clowns after school, putting him at the store a good fifteen minutes late. He pushed open the back door and walked in, noticing that H was nowhere to be seen. He shrugged then started to walk up to the front of the store, thinking that he would be there with a customer. He didn't see the broom until it connected with his head, sending him reeling into stacks of instruments that were waiting to be sent for repairs. He put his hands up, trying to protect himself from the blows of his assailant, as the broom came crashing down on him again.

" Who are you and what the hell are you doing back here?" a light voice yelled as the broom continued to rain down. Timothy grabbed the broom as it came down and snatched at it, feeling his head spinning. He closed his eyes to alleviate the motion.

" Where's H?" Timothy said as he tugged on the broom some more. Whoever this was, she was not giving up without a fight.

" H? There's no H here! Let go!"

" Only if you promise not to hit me again," Timothy said as he held on to the broom. If he let go, he knew he was in for more trouble. " I work here."

Hearing the commotion, H raced to the back room with a bat in his hands. When he got there, he grabbed the broom out of both their hands and tossed it to the side.

" Riley, what do you think you are doing? You almost killed the poor kid. Speed, are you okay?"

Timothy nodded as he held his head with one hand, getting up . When he lifted his head, he saw her. It was the girl in class. His eyes met hers, and he saw the surprise that resided in them. He smiled slightly but then it turned into a grimace as he struggled to stay balanced.

" You're late," H said as he looked at Timothy's head.

" I got held up. Ow!"

" Riley, I told you that we had a new guy coming in."

" Daddy, I freaked. All I saw was this white boy walking in from the back. I didn't know if he was going to rob us or what. I did what I had to do," Riley replied as she eyed him with concern. She had hit him rather hard, several times.

" Do I look like someone who would rob you?" Timothy asked as he gingerly felt the bump that was forming just behind his ear.

" You don't want to know," Riley returned as she shot him an disgusted look.

" Riley, go get some ice," H said sternly.

" Dad..."

"Go."

H helped Timothy to a seat carefully as Timothy smiled at him.

" What are you smiling at? She's my daughter."

" I should've known by the eyes," Timothy said as she walked back into the room. He grinned at her and she rolled her eyes at him.

" I think it's time that you formally met the new guy, Riley. This is ..."

" Timothy Speedle. I already know him, dad. He's in my biology class."

"Oh so this is the cute one you were talking about?" H asked widening his eyes.

_She thinks I'm cute? _Timothy asked himself as he saw her cheeks flush.

"Daddy!" Riley exclaimed as she turned to walk up to the front of the store, leaving them with a smile on their faces.

" That's my girl," H said as he returned his attention to Timothy. " You sure that you are okay?"

" Yeah, you got a couple of pain killers lying around?" Timothy asked as he placed the ice to his head.

H smiled and quickly went into the small bathroom returning with two small white pills and a cup of water, " Down those and come and join us up front. We have work to do."

" Only if you promise to keep your daughter away from the brooms," Timothy quipped as he took the pills, prompting H to cackle loudly.

" Done. Now come on."

Timothy got up slowly, and watched Riley as she moved about up front. She was mesmerizing.

Soon , he was able to move without having to hold on to anything and he got to work, noticing as she had thrown him furtive glances. There was something brewing in the air.

TBC...


	6. Living

Left Undone

Chapter 6 Living

Several weeks had passed since Timothy had started working at the shop, and he felt like his life was finally on the right track. He didn't think about his father as much, or more so, he didn't think about the pain of losing him, because he could never forget about him. He had found so much more to fill his life with, namely Riley Highsmith. After his first day, the ice had been broken and he approached her the next day before class had started.

_"Riley, I wanted apologize for yesterday, I should've come in the front door," he had said as he set his gaze into her clear eyes._

_" Oh, no. I'm the one who should be apologizing. I practically assaulted you."_

_" It's okay, I got a little reminder back there," he replied smiling touching his head at the still sensitive spot. She smiled back at him, the gesture sending chills down his spine. " After we finish today, you want to go on a ride ?"_

_" On your bike?"_

_" Sure."_

_" No thanks," she said as she opened her book. The teacher had come in the room , signifying the beginning of class. She saw the hurt that flashed in his eyes and quickly countered, " I have my own Ducati. Now, we can ride together..."_

_" You have a Ducati?"_

_" Yup, purple. Daddy brought it for me for my sixteenth birthday."_

_" Really,..." Timothy said as he remembered the purple bike at the gas station._

_" So later then?_"

" _Later it is_..."

Timothy sat at his drum set with his sticks in his hands, feeling a new emotion. Usually he came here if he was feeling sad or angry, but something had forced him in here despite the absence of both of those. He closed his eyes, seeing Riley and began to play. His movements were methodical and deliberate, as he hit the drums softly. He continued to keep his eyes closed as he remembered the moments that they shared alone, just getting to know one another. The feeling coursed through him , making him giddy with delight. Smiling ,he hit the drum one last time, and then he heard the printer. It was done.

He walked over to the printer and took it out, going over the notes with his gestures. As always, he took the leather bound notebook out and added it in. He glanced over to his computer just as the picture of his dad appeared, and he smiled.

" You know dad, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that I was in love with this girl."

The picture returned in silence, but the smile on his father's face told him as always, that he had heard him. Timothy was about to put the notebook away when he saw his mother standing at the door. In the past weeks, she had seen a change in her son, and she was so happy, but she still hadn't known why. If anything, Timothy was a master at keeping certain aspects of his life ,private. She smiled at him widely as she entered the room, looking around, her eyes lilting on the baby grand in the corner.

"Junior , did I just hear that you said that you were in love? Any one I know?"

" Mom,..." Timothy said as he felt the color rise in his cheeks.

" I'm not prying, I just wanted to know if she is the one responsible for that," Calleigh returned as she pointed to him.

" She's a girl I met at school. She's in my biology class."

" So she's your girlfriend?"

"Well yeah, you could say that," Timothy said as he remembered a soft kiss that they had shared on their many bike rides.

" You're not having sex are you?" Calleigh asked in a serious tone. This was unfamiliar territory for her.

" Mom, please. I know the importance of waiting."

Calleigh sighed a breath of relief as she let the smile, that had been long forgotten, appear on her face, " Good. So will I ever get to meet this mystery girl?"

" Yeah, I asked her to come today, if that was okay."

" It's fine , Junior. That way she could meet your 'immediate family'," Calleigh said as her smile faded slightly. Timothy noticed and got up to meet his mother at the door. He knew what that look meant.

" Mom, it's going to be okay..."

" I just miss him, Junior," Calleigh said as she glanced at the picture on the computer screen. His smile shined as a beacon to her heart, which was still broken. " He should be here meeting your girlfriend, going to the company picnics, but instead..."

Timothy held his mother in a tight embrace as she let her still festering grief over flow. In all of his time he spent trying to get his life back on track , he saw as his mother 's was standing still. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the sorrow that she held on to tightly. He wished that he could've been there from the beginning, instead of wasting his time.

" Mom, he lives on in your heart. No matter what you do or where you go, he's always going to be there. So you can let go of your sadness. He won't disappear if you do that."

Calleigh nodded as she wiped her tears, knowing that her son was speaking the truth. She too had to start living again. She saw as Timothy looked at the clock on the wall and smiled. She felt the positive tension radiating from him and she motioned for him to go.

" Mom, I gotta do something," he explained as he walked over to the computer to turn everything off. "I'll see you there."

" Yes, and honey,..."

" Yeah mom?"

" I love you. More than life itself."

Timothy came to her and hugged her again, " I love you too, mom. I always have."

He held her for a moment longer , then felt as she pushed him off of her lightly, " Go. I don't want you to be late ."

Timothy nodded as she smiled through her tears. He knew by the look in her eyes , that she was going to be okay.

TSJ

Timothy pulled the Ducati at the front of the Highsmith home, watching her as she came out quickly, wearing a dazzling smile. H watched from the doorway, with a smile of his own as they kissed each other in greeting, then he turned to close the door. He trusted Speed's kid with Riley, because he knew that he wouldn't hurt her. He knew love when he saw it.

Timothy gazed into her eyes as she giggled furiously, and felt his heart filling up. He never knew that he could feel this way about anyone. He caught her gently as she was about to walk towards her bike, and pulled her to him.

" How about we ride my bike today. There's someone I want you to meet, so it would make sense if we just took one Ducati," Timothy said as he lost himself in her eyes.

" Sounds fine to me, although , I think that you don't want your family to know that your girlfriend has a better bike than you do," she replied as she smiled beautifully.

" You think so?"

" Yep."

" Okay, how about we take yours?"

" Not on your life, Speed. No one drives that bike but me," she returned playfully. Timothy had grinned widely at her use of his new found nick name. He loved to hear her voice as she spoke it.

" And your father," Timothy added quickly as he took her into a kiss.

" Yeah. My. Father..." Riley said between the kisses. " Okay, okay you win. I'll ride with you."

" I knew that I could get you to see it my way." he quipped as he smiled that killer smile that was a Speedle trademark.

" Where are we going?" Riley asked as she lifted the helmet up.

" You'll see. I told you I wanted you to meet someone," he said as he put his helmet back on. She did the same and climbed on, interlacing her arms around his waist. As he started the bike and pulled out , he felt her warmth as she inched up forward. There was nothing more that he could possibly want in his life at that moment.

TSJ

Timothy pulled into the cemetery and parked the bike, taking his helmet off and helping Riley with hers. He looked into the direction that he wanted to go, and took her hand into his. For some reason , he thought that he needed to do this, and he hoped severely that he wasn't freaking her out.

" Are you okay with this?" he asked her as he saw the uneasy glance she gave her surroundings.

" Yeah, I'm fine. My mom's down there," Riley said as she pointed to an area further down the path. "I want to do this with you."

He squeezed her hand lightly as he continued to walk until he finally came upon his resting place. As he knelt down, he felt the breeze as it wafted through the cemetery as if to calm him, letting him know that it was okay. He touched the stone with tears coming to his eyes, and he sat in silence for a moment before he spoke.

" Dad, I told you about a girl that I love dearly and how much she meant to me. Well I brought her here. It seems kinda silly, but I thought that you would like to meet her," he said as he wiped his eyes. He could only imagine what Riley was thinking about him at that very moment. He felt her arm as it slipped into the crook of his, as she knelt beside him. He looked at her and she smiled, her delicate fingers wiping the tears that were still flowing profusely. She then looked at the stone and read it softly.

_Timothy James Speedle, Sr_

_Loving husband_

_Devoted father_

_Trusted Colleague_

_June 24, 1973- September 20, 2015_

Riley felt her own tears surface as she touched the stone with her fingers, saying quietly, " Nice to meet you , Mr . Speedle."

Timothy looked at her then back to the stone, as much as he still missed him, he was happy that this day had come. Now ,he could focus more than ever on his future, with his father in his heart.

TbC...


	7. a shot out of nowhere

Left Undone

Chapter 7 A shot out of nowhere

Timothy brought the bike to a stop at the light, still feeling her warmness pressed up against his body, smiling. What he thought would be gut wrenching was actually more healing than anything else. He was able to share his father with someone whom he loved and trusted, and that meant the world to him.

He was lost in deep thought as a car pulled up beside him, blaring loud music. Riley shifted uneasily behind him, causing him to glance over to his side, seeing the supped up Honda, knowing who it was. Cooper Royston. Timothy inched the bike forward slightly , readying himself to take off when the light changed, putting a comforting hand on Riley's as she squeezed him harder. He remembered what they had gone through in the past two weeks with Cooper. Every since Timothy embarrassed him in the hall, Cooper had made it his business to terrorize him, and when he found out about Riley, her as well. The one incident that stood out in his mind, made him cringe. That day, he almost lost his cool.

_Riley walked into the classroom, several minutes before anyone else, wanting to prepare herself for the class. She glanced at the door, waiting for Timothy , knowing that he wasn't far behind her. As she thought back at their time together, she smiled warmly. Despite their initial meeting, Riley had grown to like him, and now their relationship was headed for more serious terms._

_Sighing loudly she turned from the door and readied her books. She didn't notice the rough hand until it was clamped over her mouth. Fear coursed through her as she struggled against her captor. When he spoke, she instantly knew who it was. _

_" So you and Speedle, huh? You downgrading? You better tell your little boyfriend to watch out. No one makes a fool out of me."_

_She nodded, feeling the tears coming. She knew that he was serious. The bell rang and the hand dropped , leaving as fast as it came. She held on to the desk, trying to get herself together before the other kids came in. When Timothy took his seat next to her, he instantly knew that something was wrong._

_" Riley, are you okay?"_

_" I'm fine," she lied. She didn't want him to worry, not when he was getting his act together._

_" Riley, c'mon, I know you. There's something wrong," he said as he looked into her stricken face. She looked back at him, those brown eyes, melting her to the core._

_" Cooper threatened you. He came in here when I was alone and surprised me from behind," Riley said as she fought valiantly against the tears._

_" Did he hurt you?" Timothy asked as the redness came back into his sights. It was one thing to talk about his father, and an entirely different one when it concerned Riley. Timothy clutched his fist tightly , trying to hold in his anger._

_" No, but he said that you should watch out. Speed, I think he's gonna try something stupid. I'm worried about you."_

_Timothy reached his hand to take hers, in an effort to comfort her, " I'm going to be fine, don't worry about me."_

_She tried to smile through the glittering of her eyes, her stress tearing at his heart. This wouldn't happen again._

The horn from the Honda blared at him, shaking him from his memories. Timothy noticed as the light turned green and he let the clutch go, sending the Ducati through the intersection. Speeding through the streets of Miami, he didn't see the Honda until it caught up with him and swerved in front of him, causing a momentary lull for Timothy, as he turned the bike to compensate.

_This idiot is going to kill someone_, Timothy thought as he slowly applied the breaks. He then turned sharply, leaving the Honda on the road by itself. He continued on until he finally got to the park, relieved to see that the Honda was nowhere in sight. Getting off, his first instinct was to check Riley to see if she was okay. She took off the helmet and in one movement, embraced him. He didn't want her going through this for his sake, but he knew if he tried to tell her that it was for her own safety that she left him alone, she would reply with a smack.

" Don't even think about it, Timothy," she said as she kissed him lightly on the cheek. " I'm going to be fine."

" How did you know?" Timothy asked as he gazed in her eyes. The love he saw there was debilitating, in a good way.

" I can tell by the way you look, you get that concern squint going," she replied as she turned to see a group of people headed their way. " Timothy, who are all of these people?"

" They are my family," he replied simply. Timothy smiled as he saw his mother walking with the rest of them, seeing a clarity in her eyes. Maybe she just needed to be around them without work attached.

"All of them?"

" Yes, all of them," Timothy returned. Soon they were in front of them, smiling. Riley watched as Timothy was pulled into several hugs by several different people, feeling the sense of a strong family still trying to pick up the pieces of their lost. She hadn't known Timothy's father, but from what she saw from this group of people , she knew he was loved.

" So are you going to introduce us to your gorgeous friend here, or what ?" Alexx said as she came to Riley. Riley blushed at the comment.

" Alexx, every body, I want you to meet Riley Highsmith, my girlfriend," Timothy said as he stepped aside to make room for his mother. Riley smiled warmly and presented her hand to shake.

" Oh no you don't honey," Calleigh said as she took her into a strong hug, " You get more than a handshake for the happiness that you've given my son. I'm Calleigh by the way."

Timothy felt the heat rise just above the collar of his shirt and continued on, " Riley, this is Alexx Woods, Horatio Caine, Eric Delko, Maxine Valera, and Tyler Jensen and you've met my mother. They all work at the Miami Dade Crime lab. They are CSIs."

"CSIs? What is that?" Riley asked sheepishly as she acknowledged them all. Her question elicited groans from the group as the red head stepped up, wearing dark glasses. Riley tried to remember his name, knowing that it was a literary figure.

" We are crime scene investigators. We take a look at the evidence that is left behind at a crime, and try to find the person or persons that did it."

" So you all just go to a crime scene and collect things?"

" Yes, we each have a specialty , if you can call it that," Horatio continued as the rest eyed him. "Alexx here is our medical examiner, she performs autopsies for us, Eric here is our underwater recovery guy..."

"Scuba boy as I would like to refer to him as," Calleigh chimed in as the others laughed.

" Funny, Cal. I see you haven't offered up what your nickname is," Eric countered.

" It's bullet girl... I don't have a problem with it... I embrace it," Calleigh said exuding her southern charm. Riley smiled at them and returned her focus to Horatio, truly interested in what he was saying.

" As I was saying, Eric is our underwater recovery guy, Calleigh as you heard is an expert in firearms and tool marks, Tyler is a whiz in Audio Visual..."

"And his name is string bean..." Calleigh said as Tyler shot her an embarrassed look, " What ? It's a personal nickname."

Again, the others laughed as Horatio soldiered on, " And Maxine Valera is our DNA tech."

Riley nodded and asked, " So what did Mr. Speedle do?"

At this question the atmosphere had changed quickly, and she instantly regretted speaking his name. Horatio glanced at the ground uneasily, then returned his gaze to her and cleared his throat, "Speed, um ,... Speed was our trace analyst."

There was a hushed silence as their thoughts had turned to the one that was painfully missing. She looked into their faces and saw what Timothy had held in his eyes long ago, sadness. She felt like a heel for imposing this on them, just as it seemed that they were enjoying a respite from their grief.

" I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." Riley started as she felt her eyes beginning to water.

" No, honey, it's nothing. We just miss him," Alexx said as she took her into a hug, "you did nothing wrong."

Riley looked to Calleigh and saw that the beautiful smile had disappeared, it being replaced with a forlorn gaze. _Great, I've alienated my boyfriend's mother, _she thought as they all turned to go back to the picnic. She turned to see Timothy with an uneasy smile, as he held his hand out to her. Taking it, she felt somewhat better, but she couldn't help but think about her major slip.

" Riley, you did fine," Timothy said as he watched his mother amble slowly with the others.

" I'm sorry ,Timothy. I should've kept my mouth shut."

" They are having a hard time, Riley. Like Alexx said, you did nothing wrong."

" Why does it feel like it?" Riley asked as Timothy took her in a hug.

" Don't worry about it, they love you and I love you.It was just a simple question."

Riley nodded as she took his hand and walked with him, hoping that she hadn't made the wrong impression.

TSJ

H sat at his computer , working on the layout of the program for the evening at his club. He thought about asking Timothy if he would sit in with the band tonight, knowing that he would knock them dead. He remembered the night that he met Timothy and their little jam session, knowing that his skills were above par. He could see a future for the young man, but he wanted him to find his own path. Just like his father before him, H had taken an instant liking to Timothy and he wanted to see him excel so he stepped in as a father figure to him, helping him with his daily struggles of being a teen. He was pleasantly surprised to see the budding relationship that he started with Riley, seeing her bloom as she became en Amor with him. Since her mother had died four years ago, Riley had retreated somewhat into a shell, not letting anyone get too close. So it shocked the hell out of him when he saw them in an embrace one night after they had finished working.

_He stood silently at the window watching them as they smiled at each other. Their body language exuded the feeling of awkwardness that they both felt, but their gazes held the truth, they liked each other. H smiled warmly to himself as the door opened and she walked in, oblivious to anything or anybody around her._

_"So when were you going to tell me about Speed?" H asked lightly._

_Riley stopped in her tracks and glanced at him, then away, " I-I..."_

_" It's alright, honey. I'm glad that you found someone that you can relate to. He's a decent kid, I trust him."_

_" Oh daddy, really?" Riley asked as she lifted her gaze , her eyes lighting up._

_" Yeah, just as long as you exercise some common sense, I'm cool with it, you know what I mean?"_

_" I do, daddy. He's a total gentleman, and I think that I really like him."_

_" You mean love him right? Riley, I'm your father, and I have lived a heck of a lot more years than you have, I know love when I see it."_

_"Daddy..." Riley said as she felt her cheeks warm up._

_" Don't deny it, baby. Some of the most lasting and loving relationships develop in highschool. Your mom and I were highschool sweet hearts, and we were married for almost nineteen years."_

_" Thanks daddy," Riley said as she hugged him tightly around his neck, " you are the greatest!"_

_" I know... Do you think you could get Timothy to do me a favor?"_

_" Dad, we just starting seeing each other, and you already want a favor?"_

_" Yeah, I want him to play at the club sometimes."_

_" The club? Isn't he a little too young?"_

_" That's true, but have you heard him play ? No one would pay a moments notice to his age once they heard the boy play."_

_Riley gave her father a sideways glance, " Well you'll just have to ask him yourself."_

_" So I have your permission?"_

_"Daddy..." Riley said again, effecting her embarrassment onto him. He laughed and walked away, happy to see his daughter happy._

A knock at the door jarred him from his thoughts, and he got up from the computer , crossing the floor quickly. He wasn't expecting anyone this afternoon ,and Riley had told her friends that she was going to be out all afternoon. Curiously, he peeked out of the window to see a car that he didn't recognize in the drive way, but he couldn't see anyone in the car or at the door. Something inside of him bubbled with apprehension as he looked out the peep hole, and then he heard it. He tried to move quickly , but he felt something sear through his chest as he fell back. He put his hands to his chest feeling the warm stickiness as he fought to breathe. Before he passed out, he heard more commotion then a car speeding off. His eyes flirted with closing as he heard a voice in his ear, " You hold on..."

Malcolm's world went dark as he held on to those words, that seemed to be in a familiar voice.

TBC...


	8. A Surreal Incident

Left Undone

Chapter 8 A surreal incident

"Now if you hit the ball this time, Riley, I think we have a good chance of winning," Calleigh called to her as Riley approached the plate, grasping hard at the bat in her hands. She had never once held a bat in her life, but here she was, playing baseball. She looked to Timothy who was standing at first base with a glove on, waiting for the hit. How they ended up on opposing teams was still a mystery to her.

After the tense moment earlier, the feelings of sorrow and pain had dissipated with the wind as it blew generously through the park. They had all eaten and enjoyed each other's company, talking about anything other than their work. Soon, someone mentioned the baseball game and Riley found herself taking off her jacket, before trotting off to the outfield. She tried to look the part, but she had no idea what she was doing. After three easy outs that she didn't pay attention to, they all ran in and started a batting order. As she watched her new found friends, she felt something odd in the pit of her stomach. She ignored it and continued to have her fun.

She waited for the pitcher, who just happened to be Eric, to throw the ball, with her bat raised. The ball whizzed past her as she swung the bat missing the ball completely.

"Strike one!" called the umpire, who was Horatio.

Peters, the catcher,stood up and threw the ball back to Eric, saying to Riley, " Maybe you want to stand back off of the plate, and keep your eyes on the ball. Just some friendly advice."

Riley nodded as Eric watched Peters for the signs, then in an act of humor, he motioned for his outfielders to come in. If in the small chance that she did get one off of him, he wanted to be prepared. Eric had been on the losing team for two years straight. Even with his fastball, he could never strike out Speed.

" What's he doing?" Riley asked as she dropped the bat. She was confused.

" He doesn't think that you are going to get very far, so he's calling in his outfielders. He's trying to be funny," Horatio said as Peters gave him the signal. Eric shook his head then nodded when he got the pitch that he wanted.

Riley put the bat up again and focused her attention on Eric. She was mild mannered, but when she was called out, she brought it, no matter what it was. Steadying herself, she watched the ball as it hurled toward her, and she swung, feeling the ball as it cracked off of her bat. She watched the ball as it sailed through the air, and stood with the bat still in hand.

" Riley, run!" Calleigh called as she motioned for her to go.

" What?"

"RUN!"

Riley came to her senses as the outfielders scrambled to get to the ball which was deep in the outfield. She sprinted towards first base, keeping her eyes on Tyler who had just picked up the ball. Timothy smiled at her as she passed him heading to second base, where she saw Alexx running to third base. Tyler had thrown the ball to another CSI , Wolfe and he dropped the ball , causing Eric to slam his glove to the ground. Wolfe scrambled to pick up the ball as Alexx rounded third, making it to home safely. Riley , meanwhile had made it half way to third when she saw the third base man catch the ball. She stopped and turned to go back to second as the ball whizzed over her head to the second baseman. Looking at him, she turned and started to run to the third base, and saw the ball fly past her again.

_Please drop it, please_, Riley said to herself as she came closer . She was shocked to see the ball fly past the third baseman, who was another tech named Belmontes, and she kept going. Her goal was in her sight as she saw Peters stand up off of his haunches and ready himself for the ball. She pushed harder , just as the ball sailed past her, and then she felt herself fall forward, sliding into the home plate.

" Safe!" Horatio called as she got up. The dirt from the plate had covered her clothes and she was a little out of breath, but she had won the game.

" What?" Peters asked as he stood up. " She was out!"

" She's safe, Peters. It's over," Horatio said with a smile as the team came over .

Eric had a look of light disappointment as he looked heavenward and smiled. It seemed that he had lost another game. He walked up to Riley and flashed a smile, " I thought you said that you never played? That slide was something from the majors."

" I 've never played, but I don't know, it just happened. I had a lot of luck on the way," Riley replied as she dusted herself off. Timothy had took his place beside her and helped her dust off.

" No kidding, Ryan what happened to you, mister butterfingers?" Eric asked glaring at the small man.

" It slipped, Delko. Gosh , it's just a game."

" A game that I would like to win before I die," Eric said. Almost immediately the tension returned. Eric slapped himself unconsciously, it was still too soon to joke around like that, especially after the comment that Calleigh had said to Alexx on the boat that fateful day,

_"I think I may kill Speedle..."_

" Anyone in need of a drink?" Calleigh said trying to advert another situation.

They all clamored around Calleigh and the cooler filled with gatorade, and congratulated Riley on her winning run. Then all of a sudden, Horatio' s phone rang, destroying the mood completely. Within seconds, the rest of the CSIs phones rang and Riley looked to Timothy for a clue of what was going on.

" They've got a call out," Timothy said as he bent down to her ear.

" Call out?" Riley asked as they all flipped their phones up.

" To a scene. A crime has been committed," Timothy said as he remembered the many call-outs that had ruined his family outings. The job could be cruel when it wanted to be.

_" Son, I'm sorry , but I gotta go," Tim said as he picked Timothy up off of the Ducati. They were spending a leisurely day around the house, the younger Tim watching his father do routine maintenance on the Ducati._

_" But why daddy?"_

_" So I can catch the bad guy and put him away," Tim returned softly. As much as he hated to cut his time with his son short, he looked at him and remembered why he had to do this job. He had to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. Those like his young son. Seeing his disappointment, Tim ruffled his son's dark hair and said, " I promise when I get back, I'll finish going over the bike with you."_

_" What if you come home late?"_

_" I won't, I promise," Tim said to his son. He looked up to acknowledge Calleigh as she came to the door._

_" And you never break your promises ,right?"_

_"Right..."_

" The address is 153 Covington Place," Horatio called to his team. " Alexx you won't be needed. The call said something about the paramedics being dispatched."

Riley felt her heart stop as she heard her address. She looked to Timothy , who had a concern look on his face as well, and clutched at his side.

" Horatio, did you say Covington Place?"

" Yes, why?"

"That's where Riley lives," Timothy returned as her gripped tightened.

As if on delay, she yelled out, " Daddy! He was there alone. I've gotta go Speed."

Calleigh's eyes darted to Riley at the mention of his name, noticing as Timothy set in motions his actions. They began to walk in the direction of the Ducati before she came up to them.

" Where do you think you are going?" Calleigh asked them.

" I'm taking her to him," Timothy said with a hint of anger. A crime had been perpetrated against her.

" Timothy, you can't..."

" I can and I will," he returned as they continued to walk to the Ducati faster. In seconds, they were on the bike and speeding out of the parking lot.

TSJ

Timothy had wasted no time in getting to the house, even beating the paramedics . As he got off of the bike, he saw the door opened and his legs as they protruded out . He could hear the sirens approaching as Riley neared him, crying out when she saw him on the ground. His color was ashen , but she noticed that h limply held a white cloth to his chest .

" Is he ?..." Riley asked , the tears coming to her eyes quickly. He was all that she had left.

Timothy saw his chest rising slowly and slight movements, and turned back to her, " No , he isn't dead, but if the paramedics don't get her quickly, he's not going to have a fighting chance."

Seconds later, an ambulance pulled up and two paramedics got the gurney, almost running to the front door. Two Hummers pulled up behind them, Horatio and Calleigh getting out of the first one, and Wolfe and Delko getting out of the second one. Timothy moved Riley so that the paramedics could get to her father.

" What happened here?" one asked.

" I don't know we just got here," Timothy said as he felt Horatio come up beside him. He could feel the tension as it radiated off of him.

" So , who made the call?" the other asked as they worked quickly discarding the white cloth.

The question went unanswered as they continued to work. Timothy thought to himself, _Who did call?_

Horatio picked up the cloth with his gloved hands and looked it over, " Did you guys use this?"

" It was on his chest when we came up," Timothy offered as he kept an eye on H. This was angering him, the one person who reached out to him was lying on the ground possibly dying.

" You didn't touch him did you?" Calleigh asked looking at the man on the ground. A chest wound, the same as Tim's.

" No, we didn't."

"We are going to need pictures," Horatio said as he moved Riley and Timothy out of the way, " Mr. Wolfe."

" Lieutenant, we are trying to save a life here," the first paramedic said irritated.

"So am I. Mr. Wolfe, work quickly," Horatio said as he put his hands on his hips. Usually he would have on a suit, but being as this was supposed to be a rest day, he found himself feeling at odds with his casual attire.

Wolfe shot several frames as the paramedics continued to work feverishly. They got H onto the gurney and started transport.

" Now , if you are done with your photo shoot, we have to get this man to the hospital," the paramedic said angrily. Valuable seconds were being lost.

Riley watched as they loaded him onto the ambulance, and ran to the back. Timothy followed her and held her back as they closed the doors.

" Tim, I have to be with him. I gotta be with him," Riley said as she let the tears drop.

" I understand, I'll take you," Timothy replied as he held her. They then moved to the Ducati, and he started it.

Calleigh walked over to them and touched his arm, then Riley's , saying, " We are going to find who did this."

Silence returned to her as they pulled away, catching up to the ambulance. Calleigh returned to the door, gazing at the blood pool , her mind reaching into the past, settling at Tim's scene. His last scene.

_She hurried into the jewelry store fearful of what she would see. The Hummer had been parked on the side of the road, and her mind instantly went to Horatio. But when she arrived to see Horatio kneeling over his body, Calleigh's mind froze. She wasn't expecting to see him lying there, his blood spreading out from behind him, eyes open seeing nothing. She wasn't expecting to touch his lifeless hand as she knelt down to pick up his gun, smelling his cologne as it mixed with the sickening copper smell. She wasn't expecting this..._

"Calleigh!" Horatio called out to her. He instantly saw the scene and he too thought about the jewelry store.

" Huh?" Calleigh said as she surfaced from her state. A single tear had traveled down her face.

" I said are you sure that you are okay to do this?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Horatio. We need to find whoever did this," she said as she picked up her case and walked into the door. This is what mattered right now, when this man was close to heaven's door, they had the power to make it right.

TBC...


	9. Looking for Answers

Left Undone

Chapter 9 Looking for answers

A/N: Thanks guys for your fab reviews, I'm glad that you all like this story. It has taken a life of its own now, and I'm powerless to stop it!

Calleigh stood near the door, peering at the hole that the bullet left. She mentally calculated the size of the hole as she shined her torch at it.

" Well, I can tell you that the door was closed when the bullet was shot. He must've been standing in front of it," Calleigh said as she looked from the outside then back to the inside. " Bullet hole looks like a big caliber. Possibly from a revolver."

"So no shells?" Horatio asked as he surveyed the room. With the exception of the blood pool, the room was intact, telling him that robbery was not a motive.

" No shells. Our only luck will be to find the bullet. If it's still here. I'll go look around."

Horatio nodded as he then turned his attention to Delko who was printing the room. The young Cuban squinted his eyes as yet another surface came up clean for prints.

"H, there's something not right here. This is way too clean," Delko said as he put down his tools in frustration. " I mean , the computer is on, so obviously, he was working on something, yet I can't get any prints."

" Which means that this man wasn't alone in the house. Take the computer, maybe we can find something on it to help us figure out what went down here," Horatio said as he put his hands on his hips. He glanced down at the floor and saw a piece of paper. Crouching down, he picked up the paper with a gloved hand and opened it. Horatio closed his eyes then opened them again, to make sure that he wasn't seeing things. It was a clipping from a newspaper, with a picture of Speed and the vic smiling , it seemed, at the action going on around them.

Wolfe noticed Horatio staring at the paper, and walked up to him, holding the camera to the side, " Horatio, what do you have there?"

" Um, it seems that Speed knew the vic," he answered softly. It was known that CSIs regularly got too involved with a case, and they would keep tabs on the vics , to make sure that their lives had gotten back on track. Horatio admired them for their passion, but he didn't condone it. He had been on the job for too long, seeing too many families torn apart by senseless acts of violence to take each and every case to heart. He figured that time would give his young CSIs the experience that they needed to look at each case objectively.

" He what?" Calleigh asked as she heard his name.

" He apparently knew the intended vic. I have a newspaper clipping with him pictured with the victim, Malcolm Highsmith. It looks pretty old."

Calleigh thought about the name and immediately knew, " He met him on a B&E case some years back. He said that he just wanted to make sure that he was doing well. Malcolm owns a antique music shop, Tim brought Timothy's drum set from him. But that's all that I know about it."

" This picture looks like it was taken during a festival of some kind," Wolfe said as he peered over Horatio's shoulder. " You sure that 's all he did with this guy?"

" I said that's all I know , didn't I Ryan?" Calleigh asked with fury building up in her voice. She was hurt by Tim's posthumous deception. She knew nothing more of Malcolm Highsmith than she did at that moment.

" Alright, I was just asking. Do you think Cynthia can get a date off of the picture?" Wolfe asked as Horatio stood.

" We will have to see. Wolfe, continue to canvas the living room. Eric, go upstairs and print the room. Something's going on here, and I want to know what," Horatio said as he walked out. He had to get to the hospital. Riley could be in danger.

TSJ

Riley paced outside the emergency room bay, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't bear to lose her father, he was the only thing she had left. Timothy watched her from a distance, letting her have her space. If there was anything he knew, it was that at a moment like this, no one wanted to be crowded.

_" Timothy, do you want to see him?" Calleigh asked tearfully as they stood outside the autopsy theater. Alexx had let them have sometime before she began to perform the autopsy, and Calleigh had already been in to say her final goodbyes. _

_Timothy eyed the doors as if they were going to jump out and eat him up. He couldn't move, he couldn't speak, he fought to remain breathing. Behind those doors, his father lain on the cold slab, dead. He started to shake his head then closed his eyes and moved to the door. Pushing it open, he instantly felt the chill of the room as the faint smell of antiseptic wafted through, assaulting his nostrils and threatening to overturn his stomach contents. He felt his mother behind him, guiding him with a light hand positioned on his shoulder._

_"Are you sure about this, Junior?" Calleigh said tearfully._

_Timothy just nodded his head and walked forward slowly. Coming to the slab, he saw his father, his face pale and splattered with blood, eyes closed. It looked to Timothy's fourteen year old eyes that his father was merely sleeping, but seeing the splotches of red that covered his father's blue shirt, he knew that he was far from a peaceful sleep. Timothy's eyes hung on the ragged tearing of where the bullet had penetrated his father's chest. He adverted his eyes long enough for the tears to burst forward, then set his gaze on his father's still face. When he couldn't take anymore, he turned and fled , pushing through the doors. His mother followed and hovered over him in the corridor. All he wanted was to be alone, he didn't want her to be here suffocating him. All he wanted was to be left alone..._

The doors to the emergency bay opened loudly and a young doctor came through with a haggard look on his face. Timothy went to Riley's side as he saw the doctor turn to her. His heart plunged as he saw the expression that the doctor wore and he grasped at Riley's hand as she held on to Timothy's waist.

" Doctor, how is..."

" He's unresponsive. We were able to stabilize him long enough to get the bullet out of his chest without doing any harm, but he lost a lot of blood. He required a transfusion to replenish what was lost. We now have to wait and see what happens. He will be taken to a room within an hour," the doctor reported as he flipped the chart down.

"Unresponsive? What does that mean? Timothy..." Riley said as she clutched at his waist more. Her voice cracked under the stress.

" It means, Ms.Highsmith, that your father is in a coma," the doctor stated in a soft tone. " He may come out of it today or weeks even months from now. We just don't know."

" Is there anything else you can do?" Timothy asked as he put a comforting arm around her shoulders. She had turned her head into his chest and wept softly.

" Nothing at this time. He has been through a serious trauma, and most likely, we won't see a response for a while, but like I said, we have to wait and see."

Timothy nodded and spoke, " Thanks doc."

The doctor took his leave as Timothy turned to Riley. He lifted her chin up and gazed into her light blue eyes, seeing the devastation that was taking root there. He couldn't let her go down that path, the one he himself had traveled. It was a lonely path, and she didn't deserve to go through it.

"Riley, he's going to be okay," Timothy said as he smiled lightly.

" I want to think that , Timothy, but I know that he probably won't wake up. He's gone," Riley said as she dropped her head.

"Don't say that, you don't know..."

" I've seen this before," Riley interrupted. There was something that she was keeping from him and as she focused on his warm brown eyes, she knew that it would tear him apart to know her secret. But the time had presented itself and she had to deal with it. " Walk with me, Timothy."

Timothy felt the heaviness of the moment and obliged quickly. When they got to a secluded spot, she sat down on a bench and motioned for him to sit as well.

" There are things that I have to tell you Timothy. Things that you might not like..."

TSJ

Horatio sat at the light deep in thought. There was something about the placement of the clipping that just wasn't right. Why was it that Calleigh didn't know about Malcolm? He pondered on that more as he heard the phone at his side ring. Without hesitation, he picked it up and spoke into it, "Caine."

" H, you'd never guess what we've found," Eric said with a hint of surprise in his voice.

" Well?"

" I dusted the upstairs room and study for prints, getting a good amount. Then I came to a room with a piano in it. Found one set on the keys."

"Okay, so you found fingerprints. Most likely Malcolm's."

" This is where it gets tricky. I scanned the prints from the bedroom and ran them through AFIS. Everyone of them came back with a fed number."

" They what?"

" They came back with a fed number. H, this family was in the witness protection program. And there's more. The prints on the piano,... Came from a police officer."

"Police officer? That's odd," Horatio said as the light turned green.

" It's Speed's."

Horatio almost ran into the back of a minivan when he heard his name. How could this be possible?

" Speed's... But how?"

" I don't know, but I haven't told Calleigh anything, she's downstairs still processing the door,"Eric returned as he let the air rush out of his lungs. He had been unaware that he was even holding his breath, feeling a sense of relief then anger as Tim's photo popped up on the screen of his computer.

" Okay, Eric , this is what we have to do. First , you delete the files that you pulled up, then you get that evidence back to the lab, and lastly keep it quiet. Don't even tell Wolfe. There's something amiss here."

" You got it H," Eric said as he hung up the phone. Horatio took a moment to gather himself. Could it be that Speed was alive?

TSJ

" Several years ago, I was living in New Jersey with my mom. One night, I went to the store for her and I just happened to pass by this corner where the hoodlums hang , and I was stopped by one of them. He harassed me, and I managed to keep going. As I looked back, I saw a man step up to him and shoot him point blank. I didn't know if he saw me, but I ran. The next day, the police come to my door, or so I thought, and just started to ransack the place. I could hear my mother as she screamed at them. She had put me in the kitchen, telling the 'police' that I was out, but I pushed the door opened some and I saw them when they... Shot her."

Timothy sat and watched Riley as she confronted her past, seeing the relief of finally being able to let it out. He grasped her hands and held on to them to show his support ,and she smiled at him through her tears.

" I got out through the fire escape and I ran. I didn't know where to go. My mother had been murdered in front of my face and my father had died years earlier. The only thought that I had was to call his brother."

" Malcolm."

" Yes, Malcolm. He's an FBI agent. I told him about what was happening, and he came and got me, and took me home. Apparently, I had witnessed a mob hit and now they were looking for me. Malcolm kept me hidden, sending me to Syracuse to live with a family ."

When she said Syracuse, Timothy's eyes went wide as silver dollars. He had a feeling that even though he was clueless, he already knew what was going on.

" Mrs. Speedle worked for child protective services and she knew Malcolm from when he worked in New York, so it was the perfect place. I stayed there for almost a year, before the trial came around. While I stayed there, I met your father, and your uncle. They were both so nice to me, especially your father. He and Malcolm had also known each other, they went to the same highschool."

"Small world," Timothy said quietly, trying to take all of this in. She was a connection to his father.

" Yeah, tell me about it. So, after the trial, which resulted in the conviction of the guy who put the hit out, I was put into witness protection. Malcolm was assigned to me, and I assumed a new name, and a new life here in Miami, courtesy of your father."

" He brought you down here?"

" Well, not necessarily. He had been working with the Feds about my case and requested that they send me here where he could keep a better eye on me. I guess he felt like I was his little sister or something."

" He always said that grandma's job provided him with many brothers and sisters," Timothy said as he looked up at her. His eyes misted over at the thought of him.

" He looked after both me and Malcolm, even when the shop was broken into. That's when things started to go south. A few days after the break in, he came into the store to buy a drum set. That was the day that we found out that the mob guy had ties to Miami. Tim couldn't tell us who, but he said that it was probably someone closer to my age. So he just told us to be on the look out. He also told us that his family was being watched as well. Time passed then September 2013 happened. The day before he told us that he was going away for a while, to throw suspicion away from his family. He didn't tell us how it was going to happen , just that it was going to. He didn't come back , and I never knew about what had happened until you told me. That's why I was so emotional when you first told me about it. Remember?"

Timothy nodded as he remembered telling her for the first time how he had lost his father. He sat back and closed his eyes, unable to soak all of this in. His father died protecting him and his mother from an unseen enemy ,one that they never knew existed.

" He came to see me."

" He what?" Timothy asked as he sat up sharply.

" He came to see me. That day after Cooper came at me from behind. He told me that he had heard some rumblings about a hit going down. For us to be safe. That's when I told him about us," Riley said as she looked into his eyes. Understanding eyes had evaporated into eyes of confusion.

" Are you trying to tell me that my... my father's alive?" Timothy asked , himself now on the verge of tears.

" Yes, Timothy... Your father is alive..."

Timothy was about to say something when he heard the squealing of tires. Seeing the black car, his instincts took over and he grabbed Riley and pulled her behind the bench as a hail of gunshots filled the air. Timothy covered Riley with his body as he heard the shells fall to the ground, instantly recognizing the sound of the gun. It was a semi-automatic nine mm. He knew this because of the countless times he sat in his mother's office while she tested her guns. He continued to shield her until he heard the shots stop. In an instant, he heard the squealing of the tires again as the car pulled off. He tried to get up , but something was hindering him from doing so. He put his hands on a hot spot on his leg, and pulled it away to see that it was indeed blood. Struggling to move, he saw Riley as she closed her eyes, slowly.

" Riley! Riley," Timothy said as he finally was able to get off of her. He moved her to see a red spot quickly forming at her side. As the security guards and doctors filed out of the emergency room, Timothy felt a rough pair of hands on him. He looked up to see who it was, but he couldn't keep his eyes open. " Ri... Riley's hurt."

" She's going to be fine ,son. So are you," a familiar voice said.

Timothy tried to hold on to that voice, but he felt himself slipping into darkness.

TBC...

A/N: What happened? You 'll have to wait and see dontcha:)


	10. Angel at the Door

Left Undone

Chapter 10 Angel at the door

"Where is he!" Calleigh shouted as she entered the emergency room doors. All eyes gravitated towards her, but she didn't notice and didn't care. Her main focus was to get to her son. She was on her way back to the lab when she heard the radio crackle to life in the Hummer.

_"All units in the vicinity of Grace Memorial, there have been shots fired. Unknown assailant is driving a black sedan , license plate HKL7893..."_

Calleigh wasted no time in turning the Hummer around and heading for the hospital. She met Horatio at the door, and he had a look of uncertainty about him. Calleigh instantly feared for the worse, feeling the tears as they began to well up in her eyes. With all she had lost, she couldn't bear to lose her son as well.

"Calleigh take a moment and calm down," Horatio said calmly as he escorted her to a secluded spot away from prying eyes. " Timothy's fine. He got shot in the leg, but he's fine."

"Oh God... What happened?" Calleigh returned as a tear dropped .

" Apparently a black sedan opened fire at Timothy and Riley, before speeding off."

" Shooting at them? For what?"

Horatio didn't want to divulge what Eric had told him previously not until he had facts, but as he stood in front of Calleigh, he couldn't keep her in the dark any longer. He took in a deep breath and glanced up at her. Calleigh knew when her boss had something that he really didn't want to tell, and he was effecting that demeanor at the moment.

"Horatio, what is it? What are you not telling me?"

"Calleigh, there was fingerprints in the Highsmith household . Eric ran them and they came out Federal."

" Riley's in the program?" Calleigh asked as her eyes widened.

" Yes and Malcolm is not her father , but her uncle. And he is a Federal agent."

" What's this all about, Horatio?"

" I don't have the full story as of yet , Calleigh , but there is one more thing. Speed's fingerprints were found in the house."

Calleigh did a double take and her eyes bored into Horatio , making him drop his glance immediately.

" What did you say?"

" Speed's fingerprints were found in the home. On the piano..."

" Wha- How is that possible? Tim's been dead for two years. Those prints must've been there from when he was investigating the B&E. That has to be it."

" Calleigh, you know as well as I do, that prints are not that easy to maintain. Two years have passed and yet Eric tells me that the ridge details were fresh. He's alive, Calleigh."

" He can't be, I saw him in the morgue, I saw his autopsy. How can he be alive?" Calleigh asked as she let the tears flow heavily. Her sobs shook her violently and Horatio reached out to take her into a comforting embrace. Calleigh fell into the hug, confused at her state. She wanted to be happy that he was alive, but at the same time she was angry at his deception and the grief that she had to endure.

" I don't know, Calleigh, but I figure we have less than twelve hours before the Feds show up. And I need some answers," Horatio stated as he gently pulled away from her. He looked at her and offered a small smile, " Are you going to be okay?"

" I gotta process this, Horatio. First, I need to see my son."

Horatio nodded and led Calleigh to the nurses window. Within minutes, Calleigh was heading to the emergency bay, her mind reeling with the notion of her husband's return.

TSJ

" How the hell was I supposed to keep track of them if you were constantly moving me around?" an angry voice said as he paced in the small room. He towered over a FBI agent who sat calmly in a chair, his hands laced. He was willing to let him go on his tirade before sharing his information. " He could've been killed ,Monroe. She could've been killed."

" They weren't."

" They came pretty damn close," he intoned even angrier. As much as he adored Riley, he couldn't for the life of him, figure out why he chose to do this. It took him from his job, his friends and most importantly, his family.

" Tim, it's important that you calm down."

"Calm down? You want me to calm down? Tell me, how am I supposed to do that, huh? Malcolm is in a coma, Riley is hanging in limbo,and my son, my son gets shot. This whole operation is going down the drain, Monroe."

"Actually, it isn't," a voice said from behind him. Tim turned to see his brother standing behind him. He stood almost three inches shorter than Tim but his demeanor made up for it. " Now sit."

Tim looked at his brother sideways and sighed heavily, but he sat, angrily glaring at the floor, " Donnie, what's going on? I can't be left out in the cold here. They've gone after my family."

" Tim, I know that you are upset, but you have to realize that these guys are professionals and they will stop at nothing until their purpose is fulfilled. With Malcolm, they think that they have killed him, and Riley, sheis hanging on a by a thread . As far as they are concerned, the job is done."

" And you think that they are just going to leave it at that? C'mon Donnie, you know better than I do that these guys don't work like that. They aren't going to take someone's word for it and hope that the job was done. Their boss needs verification and they are not going to stop until they get it."

" We have thought about that, Tim, so arrangements have been made to get Riley and Malcolm out of Miami and to their next destination."

"And me, right? I'm going to have to go too?"

Donnie stared at his older brother with a mixture of emotion. He was with him the day that he got 'shot' and he had see him cry over the loss of his family. Since that moment, Donnie watched Tim as he worked the case as he was supposed to, hoping that one day , he would be reunited with his family. He didn't have the heart to tell him that it was impossible for him to go back to the life he had known.

" Tim,..."

" Dammit, Donnie, I miss my family! I miss not being able to talk to them, to hold my wife, to interact with my son. Don't do this to me... Don't snatch them away when they are so close,"Tim pleaded. His only thought day in and day out was of reuniting with his family. Now he was being told that it wouldn't happen. He would disappear once more.

" Tim, there is a way, but you have to be cool. Understand?" Donnie asked as he smiled lightly. Tim saw the smile and instantly, he knew that his brother would make this all right.

TSJ

Timothy surfaced slowly, having a hard time shifting his weight in the bed. The echos of a voice filled his mind, as he remembered the words

_" She's going to be fine ,son. So are you," _

He couldn't be sure, but he thought that he had heard his father. As he gathered his bearings, his mind flashed on Riley. Where was she? Was she alright? He sat up in the bed, glancing down at his leg, seeing the white bandage as it wound itself up from his knee all the way up to his hip.

_This would account for why I can't move_, he thought sarcastically as he heard the door open. He looked up to see his mother's green eyes, filled with concern and happiness but with a little touch of melancholy. She approached him quickly, taking him in an intense hug. It was horrific to think of how close she had come to losing him.

"Mom, I'm alright, I'm fine. You can let me go," Timothy said as he struggled to breathe. Calleigh smiled tightly and pulled away from him, gazing into his brown eyes. She saw her his likeness in his eyes, and again tears came forth. " Don't cry mom, I said I was ok."

" Junie, I- I can't help it. You are the only thing I have left. I don't know what I would do if I'd lost you."

Timothy blushed slightly at his nickname that she had given him when he was a little boy. He hadn't heard her use it in years, which meant that she was beyond simple worry. She had been petrified with fear. He smiled at her as she sat next to the bed, grasping her hand. He had never been shot at before, and now he held in a greater appreciation for what she did in life.

"Mom, I'm sorry for all the bad things I've ever done," Timothy said rather childlike.

Calleigh tousled his hair and smiled at him, saying, " You've already been forgiven for about fifty percent of it. Is there anything else I need to know about since you are in a confessing mood?"

Timothy laughed then instantly thought about the conversation that he and Riley had. She had told him that she was in witness protection and that his father was indeed alive. He looked to his mother as his smile dropped and searched her eyes for any hint of the strength that she was going to need.

" Mom, I gotta tell you something..."Timothy started as the door creaked open. Quickly two men in dark suits came in, and stood silently. " Hey, who the hell are..."

Calleigh's face dropped to the floor as she saw him walk past them. Timothy felt as if his heart was going to skip a million beats. In front of them, stood her husband , his father.

" Calleigh, Timothy."

They both gazed at him speechless. He had risen like a phoenix out of the ashes.

TBC...


	11. Feelings Without Words

Left Undone

Chapter 11 Feelings without words

They continued to look at him as he stood at the foot of the bed, his eyes never losing their gaze. Calleigh blinked as if she was seeing a mirage, was her husband really standing there? He walked to the side of the bed, almost deliberately, and stopped mere inches from her. She could feel his body heat as he stood above her, it making her uneasy. She broke his gaze and saw the tear as it dropped onto the sheets. The feeling of his hands on her shoulder , gave her a chill and she shrugged away from him. He looked back at the two agents and motioned for them to step outside. He needed time with his family.

" Calleigh, I know that this seems..."

" Unreal," Calleigh replied as she continued to gaze down into the white sheet. If she didn't look into his eyes, she could tell herself that this wasn't real.

" Yeah, unreal. There's so much that I want to tell you, both of you," Tim said as he knelt to his haunches. He reached up to take Calleigh's face in his hand, seeing the lines of tears that had been etched into her beautiful face. He had done this to her.

" Like why didn't you tell me about Riley or what they were going to do to you. Tim, I saw you lying on the floor. I saw your blood, I felt your cold hands. It seemed so, so... Real. So final," Calleigh replied as she cried more.

" I'm sorry for that ,honey, but it was for the best. I didn't want them to come after you or Junior."

"So, you wanted us to think that you were dead? You wanted us to live with the grief, the pain?"

"Calleigh,..."

" No, Tim. I don't think that you realize just how much hell I have been through... I lost my husband, the man that I loved more than life itself. And now to find out that he really wasn't dead? How am I supposed to feel, Tim?" Calleigh continued as the fury gathered in her voice. She really didn't know why she felt like this. Truth be told, she was elated that her husband was alive, but she couldn't process this, not here. Suddenly, she stood up and walked to the door, leaving Tim still on his haunches. " I gotta get out of here. I've got to think."

"Calleigh, wait..."

Calleigh stopped for a split second before she swung the door open and walked out. Hearing the door close behind him, Tim stood up and took his seat next to his son. He looked at him, feeling a smile come to him, seeing how much his son had grown. Timothy smiled back at him wildly, bursting at the seams. In silence, Tim reached up and embraced his son , feeling relief wash over him as Timothy returned the hug intensely.

" You know, Malcolm said that you played a mean piano," Timothy said sarcastically with a hint of tears in his throat. His memories of the time in the music room flashed in his mind.

" I've been hearing good things about you, son. You kept up with the drums?"

" Yeah, grief makes stuff harder. The drums were easy for me."

Tim broke the embrace and looked into the eyes of his son. He didn't see the anger that he was prepared to see, only love and relief.

" I'm sorry for doing this to you, Junior."

" I understand Dad. It was your job, you did what you had to do. Mom's just going to need some time to deal with this,"Timothy replied. It had taken him a long time to get to the point of understanding his father's 'death' and that journey had matured him greatly. He was just happy that his father was alive. " Have you heard anything about Riley? Is she okay?"

Tim's demeanor dropped slightly and Timothy noticed it, knowing that it wasn't good. He remembered vaguely that Riley was bleeding from her side but he hadn't heard if she was conscious.

" It's up in the air right now, Timothy. But they are preparing her and Malcolm to be transported to another location."

"Another location? Where?"

" I don't know. And I probably won't know until we get there," Tim said darkly. He didn't want to tell his family that he wasn't going to be able to stay, but it had to be done. The feds worked fast when it suited them.

" We? Are you leaving?" Timothy asked, his voice cracking under the fear.

" I have to , Timothy. I can't come back to the life that I knew here. It's not possible."

"Dad, we can't gain you , just to lose you again."

" It can't be helped son. It has to happen. We have to disappear," Tim replied as he looked out of the window. The blue skies had been defeated and dusk had settled in Miami. How he wanted to turn back the hands of time to find a way to help without risking his family, his life. But he knew that there was no turning back now.

They sat in silence longer as the feelings passed through them without having to be spoken. Life was going to change again.

TSJ

Riley awakened to a sharp pain in her side , as she tried to position herself better in the bed. The last she remembered , she was talking to Timothy before she heard the gunshots. She looked down at her side to see a white bandage , her mind reliving the searing hot pain that had been there before she lost consciousness. They had almost got her. Instantly, her mind went to Timothy. Had he been hurt, or worse , killed? She didn't know what she would do if she had been the cause of his death. She had grown to love him dearly and the mere thought of life without him seemed unbearable to her. He had to be okay.

Riley heard the door open and saw a man with dark hair and warm brown eyes, as he peeked in. Immediately , she recognized him and a smile overtook the tears that were threatening to fall.

" Is it safe to come in?" the man asked slightly sarcastically.

" Donnie! What are you doing here?" Riley exclaimed as she motioned for him to come in.

He walked inside the room, returning her smile, " I came to check up on my lil' sis. How are you feeling?"

" Great," Riley returned just as sarcastic. She had learned from the best. " Someone thought that I needed to take a rest."

" Riley, that's not funny," Donnie replied as he came next to her. His eyes emoted concern and happiness at the same time. " Can you imagine what my mom would say if she heard that you were involved in a shooting?"

" I know exactly what she would say, Donnie. So please don't tell her."

" Deal. Now about you,..." Donnie said as he fixed his gaze on her. He hated to do this to her just when she was getting grounded again, but an attempt had been made , and they needed to move her quickly.

" I have to go, don't I?"

" You know it's policy, Riley. We've got to make the next step before they do. It's been arranged."

" Where are we going this time?" Riley asked as she dropped her smile. This visit was no longer pleasurable to her.

" You'll know when you get there. Malcolm will be moved to the hospital there, where he can be monitored. You will be given a new name, new school... A new life."

" I liked the life that I had here, Donnie. I fell in love..."

" I know, Riley. But it can't be helped."

" So I am just to leave Timothy here. Leave my heart?"

Donnie took her hand and looked into her light blue eyes. He saw the pain that had dwindled somewhat as it began to make it's way back to the surface. He wanted nothing more than for her to have a normal life.

" I'm sorry, Riley." Donnie returned as he squeezed her hand tightly.

" Well, can I at least say goodbye?"

" That can be arranged. We will leave in two days. The doctor says that you should be good enough to travel by then."

" Two days, that's it?"

" That's it, Riley."

" Two days," Riley repeated. She was growing tired of this .

TSJ

Horatio walked into the lab to see two agents in matching black suits as they stood next to the receptionist's desk. He instantly knew who they were and he smiled to himself. He had been right, but they had made it here in four hours and not twelve.

_Must be important_, he thought as he walked up to them. He stopped to get his messages from Paula , ignoring the agents.

" Lieutenant?"

Horatio looked up to see Dennis Sackhiem as he approached the desk, wearing a irritated look. Horatio recalled the many times he had seen that same look on his face through out the years.

" What can I do for you, Dennis?" Horatio asked returning his gaze on his messages.

" We need to talk. Alone."

" Okay, alone. Is my office okay, or do you need to sweep for bugs?"

Dennis threw a glare at Horatio as he chuckled to himself and gathered his messages, motioning to the two agents, " They are going to have to stay down here , though."

Dennis glanced at the agents and nodded his head, and they disappeared out of the door. Horatio then began to walk to the elevators, causing Dennis to trot to catch up with him. In the elevator, neither man spoke, but the tension was great. When the doors open, they both stepped out and remained quiet. Only when they were in the confines of Horatio's office did Dennis speak.

" Horatio, I need all of the evidence in regards to the Highsmith case."

" It's an active case, Dennis. I can't do that," Horatio said calmly.

" A young girl's life is at danger here, as well as your CSI's life and her son's. There's been talk about another hit being put out on Calleigh Speedle and her son. Do you really want their blood on your hands as well?"

Horatio glared at Dennis's connotation of Speed's death, and settled down behind his desk. He wanted Calleigh and Timothy safe, but he didn't want to lose this evidence that could catch this person.

" Dennis, I think that their blood will be on your hands. Where were you guys when Malcolm Highsmith was being gunned down in his house? Or when Timothy and Riley were nearly killed by a drive by? You're running a shabby deal here."

" We were tangled up on intel , but it's nothing. We are moving on to the next stage, but I need to have the fingerprints that you obtained from the scene. All of them."

" What is it about 'active case' that you don't understand, Dennis? This happened in my city ,under my jurisdiction. The evidence goes nowhere," Horatio said with finality.

" I beg to differ, Caine. I was being nice by asking , but since you have forced my hand," Sackhiem said as he pulled a blue piece of paper out. " This says that I can take anything pertaining to this case, including the fingerprints."

Horatio snatched the warrant out of Sackhiem's hand and read it. He then glanced down to the floor, knowing that there was nothing that he could do. Sackhiem smiled at his victory and took the paper out of Horatio's hand.

" My agents will be in the lab in thirty minutes to pick up all evidence. Have it ready," Sackhiem said as he walked out of the door. Horatio sat in his chair quietly for a moment then reached for his phone. He had thirty minutes to get what he could out of the evidence.

" Delko."

" Eric, there's been a change of plans. I need everything that you've got right now. The feds are going to procure the evidence."

" H, can they do that?" Eric asked flabbergasted.

" They can and they have. Meet me in the lay out room in ten minutes. Whatever you have, we are going to have to roll with it."

" You got it H,"Eric said as he hung up the phone. He looked over to Wolfe who was lifting fingerprints off of a piece of evidence. " Whatever you got on the Highsmith case, H wants it now."

" I wasn't finished," Wolfe said as he put the sample down.

" We are finished, the feds are seizing the evidence, so gather what you have and bring it to the layout room."

Wolfe nodded and stopped what he was doing. In minutes he was following Eric into the layout room. Horatio entered next and stood at the side of the table.

"Alright , gentlemen, what do we have?"

TBC...

A/N: I know it's been a while, but I've had some computer problems. Hope you enjoy...!


	12. Knowing the Difference

Left Undone

Chapter 12 Knowing the Difference

Tim walked out of the hospital, looking for her. There was so much to tell her, yet so little time. He was going back under and he wanted her to know why he had done it. He wanted her to know that he loved her and the life that he left behind. After talking with his son, he knew that he had to find her, even more so now. Time was of the essence.

As he walked, his mind lilted on his life with her, the marriage, the birth of their son, and the little things in between. When he first met Calleigh Duquense, he couldn't fathom even saying two plausible sentences to her, much less going out with her. But by some chance miracle, he had asked her out, and she accepted, thus starting a beautiful relationship. They had been great friends before going out with each other and it was intensified even more as the relationship got more serious. Tim couldn't remember the last time he was able to be himself with a woman, to be truthful. With Calleigh , that all came easier.

" _It's what you would call love," _she had said to him as they walked along the sandy beach. They had been going out for quite sometime and deep conversations were par for the norm for them .

"_How do you know? I mean, do bells go off or something?"_

" _You just know. One day it just dawns on you, you are in love. Knowing the difference is what can make or break someone's happiness..."_

Tim smiled deeply at the memory of that night. It was the first night that they had given themselves over to the love that they both harbored for each other. It was the first time that Tim had fallen in love. That night, he knew that he would be with this woman for the rest of his life. Lost in thought , he turned the corner to see her sitting alone, with her hand over her eyes, crying. The sight of her in this state made Tim want to kick himself in the head. How could he have done this to her? He walked silently over to her, feeling the overwhelming sadness that she held like a fortress around her. His heart broke as he stood above her for a moment before sitting down next to her. He had to make this right.

"Calleigh, I want to tell you how sorry I am for all of this. I just wanted to keep you and Junior safe. That was my motivation for doing this. Things got heated and I had to disappear. I didn't want it to be like this , you gotta believe me."

" Why not just leave? Why did you have to die?" Calleigh replied without looking at him. The tears still flowed down her face as she stared at the ground.

Tim was at a lost for words. His will was diminished at the sound of her pain riddled voice. He wanted to take her into an embrace and to take all of that pain that she held inside of her away.

" There were many nights, Tim, many nights that I thought that I would die from the pain of not having you beside me. I ached to feel you again, I longed to see your smile, my heart , my heart was in a thousand pieces..."

Tim listened to her as she let two years of grief pour out of her. He continued to sit by her, feeling the need to hold her increase, but he knew that he had to let her go through this.

" I lost control over my life, over Timothy. I was merely existing... There was no joy for me. I was a shell of the person that I once was, all because you weren't in my life anymore. Can you imagine seeing the one you love lying on the floor dead? Or in the morgue? In a casket? Can you, Tim?"

The images of Calleigh dead invaded his mind and he tried to shake them off, to no avail. He couldn't imagine it. She was the most important thing to him, and he would go insane if he lost her to death. He couldn't- he wouldn't live with himself. He lifted his hand slightly as if thinking about his next move, then brought it to her face . Gently, he wiped the tears away, and turned her face to his. She had to see the love, she had to see that he had done this for them. She had to see him. Her pain pierced him as he stared into her green eyes, but he was unable to tear away from them. With his gaze locked into hers, he slowly advanced on her, feeling the energy of the moment surging through him. He needed her touch.

Slowly he kissed her, gently letting his lips touch hers. She let the tears fall once again as the feeling of his touch ignited something inside of her. A mixture of joy , pain and love fueled her, and soon the kiss deepened. For too long she had been alone, missing the deepest part of her heart. The kiss lasted for moments longer, until they could no longer stand it, and they parted.

" I needed that,"Calleigh said as she let a small smile form on her lips, the traces of her deep pain being erased by just one kiss.

" I know what you mean," Tim said as he looked into her eyes again, please to see that the debilitating pain had all but disappeared. He let an equally small smile grace his face as he touched her cheek. The smile dropped as he remembered what he had to do. " Calleigh..."

" I already know, you have to go back under," Calleigh returned , continuing to hold his gaze which had turned into confusion.

" How?"

" An attempt was made on Riley, and her father... I mean her uncle is in a coma. It doesn't take a detective to figure it out, detective. I just wished that there was more time. I just found out that you were alive just to see you walk out of my life again. Tim, I can't do it. I can't live without you again. I'm not strong enough."

" Calleigh, you are the strongest person I know," Tim said as he took her into an embrace.

" Right. And strong meaning the basket case that was sitting before you a moment ago?" Calleigh replied sarcastically.

"But you are still here," Tim stated gently, " and that is strong if I ever saw it."

" Tim, some times, what you see on the outside isn't what is going on in the inside. Losing you took my life away. Gaining you, well, gaining you brought it back. And after that kiss, I will shoot you myself, if it meant that you would stay."

" I can't Cal. She's been flushed, and they are going to move her and me... It has to be done."

"You have a family, Tim. Can you just walk away from us again?" Calleigh asked , her voice growing slightly angrier.

" Maybe, I won't have to, Calleigh," Tim said as he inched closer. Calleigh could see something brewing inside of his head.

" Timothy James , what are you planning?"

" A way for us, all of us to be together. Are you game?"

"Are you kidding me? Of course! Tell me," Calleigh commanded as a devious smile formed.

TSJ

He answered the phone as soon as it rang. This was one call that he was anxious to get over with. He had done as he was told and the targets had been taken out. He wanted to report it and return back to New Jersey, he hated it down here.

" Yeah."

A dark voice drifted into his ear, making him shiver deeply. Usually he did this type of thing with no problem, but he knew that the targets were high profile, which meant that they came with certain heat, that heat being Horatio Caine. He had seen the red head Lieutenant in action and he wanted no part of it.

" You did good, Coop. But the boss wants one more."

" One more? I did what I came here to do. The bitch and her uncle are dead. I saw to that," Cooper replied sighing heavily. He needed to find something else to do with his life.

" Smashing job, but he wants one more ,then you can come home," the voice said as he continued on. The sound of it made Cooper think twice about questioning him again.

"Alright, who is it?" Cooper asked giving in.

" That cop, Calleigh Speedle, and her son. Timothy... He wants them done."

"What? You want me to take care of them? Why?"

" Don't ask questions, Cooper. If he wants it done, there's gotta be a reason for it. Do it. And soon."

Cooper didn't have a chance to reply before the line went dead. He had gotten his instructions. As uneasy as it was to think about killing a cop, he smiled to himself as he thought about putting one into Speedle's son. From the moment he met him, he hated him. This was going to be a pleasure for him.

* * *

" You want to call Donnie and let him know?" one agent said as they sat out in the crown victoria.

" I think it would be wise. He needs to know that there's been a hit put out on his sister-in-law and nephew."

" Alright, make the call," the other agent said as he saw the lights go out in the house. Things were about to get heated.

TSJ

" So you really can't tell me where we are going? It would help a lot, Donnie," Riley said as she shifted in her bed. The pain was less now, thankfully and she began to feel comfortable again.

" If it makes you happy, you're going to be on the west coast. But that is all that I'm going to tell you, Riley."

" And my new name? I hope it's nothing lame. I lucked up on Riley."

Donnie smiled and was about to reply when his phone rang. Riley looked at him as he spoke into the mouthpiece, hanging on every word. When he was through, he flipped the phone down and sat silently for a moment before he got up.

" Riley, I will be back in the morning. Get some rest, okay?"

Riley knew the look that he had on his face. Something had happened. " Donnie, what's going on?"

" Don't worry about it, Riley. Get some rest. You might be leaving quicker than I thought."

" Donnie..."

The door closed without a reply and Riley laid her head back. There was something brewing, she could feel it in the pit of her stomach.

TSJ

Tim held Calleigh closer to him as they walked back into the hospital. This was what he had been missing, her beautiful smile. He didn't notice as Donnie walked up behind them.

"Tim, man you have to be more careful," he said with a irritated voice.

Tim turned around quickly , coming face to face with his brother, seeing the concern etched on his face. If there was anything that frightened Tim more , it was the look that Donnie was giving him now.

" Donnie, what's up?"

" It's happening. The deal's been made," Donnie said as he glanced at Calleigh.

" When?"

"We don't know. But soon. Did you talk to her?"

" Yeah, but..."

" You know , I'm standing right here, guys," Calleigh interrupted. Tim turned to look at her, the same concern etched on his face now. Things had turned serious in a matter of seconds.

" Calleigh, remember what I told you?" Tim asked as he grasped her hands.

" Yeah, that someone was out to kill Riley and her uncle and now some how we are involved."

" There's a hit out on your life, and Timothy's," Donnie informed her. Calleigh's light demeanor dropped as she glanced into the hospital. Donnie shook his head as he saw her, " He's fine . I sent a detail up there to look after him. But we have to think about long term."

" You mean..."

" Yes, that's exactly what I mean. There's no time to lose. We know this guy's location, but what we don't know is when and where he's planning to act. So we have to beat him to the punch."

" Whatever you want me to do, Donnie, I'll do," Calleigh said as she squeezed Tim's hand. They were in this together now.

TBC...


	13. Moovements

Left Undone

Chapter 13 Movement

The next morning, Riley awakened slowly, the pain completely gone. She stretched as she sat up, seeing the bright skies of Miami through her window. She had grown to love it here, it being a stark contrast to what she was used to in New Jersey. If it was one thing that she had liked about being in the program, it was that she had gotten out of the one block radius of hell that was her life. She had new experiences here in Miami, and she had fallen in love, something she thought that she would never do. She knew, when she had first seen him, that she had liked him, but she could tell that he was going through some things and she couldn't help but recognize Speed in him. So she loved him from afar. That was until that fateful day in the shop. After she had gotten to know him better, her love for him blossomed. Now she couldn't fathom her life without him.

But here she was, preparing to say goodbye to him.

"How am I going to do this?" Riley said to herself as she swung her legs over the side. She was amazed at her own strength and determination as she got up and went to the restroom. She could hardly believe that she had been shot just yesterday. Coming out of the restroom, she saw Donnie sitting in the chair. As she sat on the bed, she saw that his eyes were tired but alert and his hair was disheveled. This told her that he had gotten no sleep. " Donnie, what are you doing here so early?"

"Time to go, Riley."

" What? I thought you said that I had two days..."

" It's been moved up. We leave at noon."

" Donnie, I can't, I can't leave him," Riley said as her eyes began to overflow . She thought that she could handle it, but now that it was happening , her iron stilled will was leaving her.

" I'm sorry Riley, but it can't be helped. If you want to keep on living..."

" I'm going to have to keep running," Riley replied with sadness. " Can I at least say goodbye?"

Donnie walked to the door and opened it. Riley watched as Timothy walked in on crutches, and sat down in the chair. Donnie left as silently as he came, leaving them alone.

" Tim," Riley said tearfully. He got up and maneuvered himself over to the bed, sitting in front of her. He was delighted to see that she was okay.

" Riley, it's going to be fine. You gotta believe me when I say that."

" They are taking me again. Tomorrow, I won't be Riley High smith anymore. Tomorrow, I won't have you."

Timothy looked into her light blue eyes, and gently put a hand on her face. His thumb lightly wiped the tear as it dropped .

" Do you trust me?"

" Yes, I do, Timothy. With all of my heart but it doesn't make a difference, I'm going to be leaving..."

" If you trust me, believe that everything's going to be okay. Can you do that?"

Riley nodded and smiled lightly before dissolving into a heap of tears, " It just hurts so bad, Tim."

" I know, Riley, but it will be all over soon. I promise," he said as he held her.

TSJ

Horatio walked into the layout room, with Eric and Wolfe following behind him. Last night, they had lost all evidence to the feds, but not before they could get one key piece, identification of the shooter. A fingerprint was left on the door knob of the home and it came up right before the feds swooped in and snatched it away from them, leaving them somewhat impotent. When there was nothing to be done, Horatio sent them home, and retreated to his home as well, thinking about his next step. He had tried to call Calleigh all night, but was unable to get to her. Standing at the table, he put his hands on his hips and looked at the one piece of evidence they had left.

" Was anyone able to reach Calleigh?" he asked sighing deeply.

" No, I tried all night and I couldn't even get her voice mail. Where do you think she is?" Eric asked, he had lost one good friend and he wasn't intending on losing another.

" I don't know, but what I do know is that we need to get to this Cooper Royston before he does any more damage."

" I got a temporary address from a credit card purchase. He's on 1st an 27th ," Wolfe said as he produced a printout. "Some times criminals can be so helpful."

Horatio looked at the piece of paper and committed the address to memory. This was going to end today one way or another.

* * *

Alexx pulled into her parking spot at the rear of the building and got out. Walking to the door, she noticed someone standing to the side of it, and her antennae went up. She put her hands on the mace that dangled around her key chain and readied herself to use it, just in case. As she got closer, she took in a ragged breath when he turned to face her. The shock caused her to drop the keys. He bent over to pick them up and handed them to her with a smile on his face.

" What's the matter , Alexx? You look like you have seen a ghost."

" That's what you are supposed to be Timmy. What are you doing here? Do you know what could happen if Horatio or Eric or worse, Calleigh, sees you here?"

" She already knows, Alexx. Things have been moving pretty rapidly. We need your services again."

" We? So you are working for the feds now?" Alexx replied as she opened the door. They both slipped in and headed straight for her office. When she got there, she closed the blinds and locked the doors.

" It's important, Alexx."

" Yeah, I remember you saying the very same thing when you approached me two years ago. Do you know how hard it's been to try and support your family, all the while knowing that you were alive?"

" I can't apologize enough , Alexx. My actions..."

" Has saved lives. Don't beat yourself up about it baby. Whatever it is you need of me, I'll do," Alexx returned, softening her voice.

" Thanks , Alexx. I'll owe you one." Tim said as he moved to hug her. She had been the only one to know of the entire operation, solely because he trusted her to stay quiet.

" I'm still waiting on the first favor," she said laughing slightly. " So when are you leaving?"

" Today, tonight, I don't know , but I don't think I'll be coming back."

"So this is goodbye then?"

" You can say that. I can't thank you enough for what you have done for me, Alexx. You have truly been a treasure," Tim said as he felt the tears rise inside of his throat. Where his mother couldn't be, Alexx Woods had been.

" The pleasures been mine, honey. And take care of yourself, Timmy. I'll miss you," Alexx said quietly.

" I'll miss you," he returned as he lingered in another hug. Alexx gently pushed him off of her and smiled.

" Now, go before someone else sees you."

Tim smiled and walked out of the door, leaving Alexx to ponder just what Tim and the feds had up their sleeves.

TSJ

Calleigh looked at Timothy and smiled brightly. He had come a long way in two years and she was proud of what she saw . As he had attempted to let go of the pain of his father's death and started to live again, he had become the son that she had feared she would never see. The anger diminished and the charm had returned, he being a carbon copy of his father. Now , as she watched him dress, she felt that everything was going to be alright, even as the fear of what was coming had hung about her.

" Are you ready for this, Junie?"

" Ready as I'll ever be, mom. Don't worry, we are going to be fine," Timothy said as he buttoned up his shirt.

" I know, I know, I'm just nervous. So many things can go wrong," Calleigh said as she touched his arm lightly.

"None of them will go wrong, mom."

Calleigh nodded and saw a touch of sadness in his eyes, " You said goodbye to Riley?"

" Yeah. That had to have been the hardest thing that I've ever done."

" That's what love's all about, son. Making choices..."

" I understand completely why dad did what he did," Timothy said as he gazed downward, a light smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

" I do too. He's looking out for our best interest."

" He loves us," Timothy replied as the door opened. He nodded to the man and finished buttoning his shirt and sat in the wheelchair. The movement had begun.

Tbc...


	14. Chasing Life

Left Undone

Chapter 14 Chasing Life

He saw them as they were being escorted by a nurse to their car that was parked out on the curb. He wanted to get this over with in a hurry so that he could go back to New Jersey and leave this city behind him. Too much heat for his liking , but he knew that he'd better do the job, and do it right, or he would be going home to an early grave.

As they pulled away from the curb, he started his engine and fell in behind them, as so not to draw attention to himself. It was time to go to work.

TSJ

Tim watched from the van as Calleigh helped Timothy into the SUV and began to have second thoughts. What if something went wrong? Donnie turned to see the apprehension on his brother's face and tried to calm him.

" They are going to be fine, Tim. Stop worrying."

" You know what, Donnie, that's easy for you to say. That's not your wife and son getting into that truck."

" I know, Tim. But you've got to trust me, things are going to be fine."

" Yeah , yeah I know... Hey , there he is," Tim said as he pointed to a compact car as it followed them out of the parking lot.

" Alright , Tim. Here we go," Donnie said as he pulled the van out and followed the compact car. The butterflies that were in Tim's stomach found their way up to his throat. He was petrified.

* * *

Riley tugged on her shirt uneasily as she handed the bag over to the agent that was accompanying her on her flight. In a matter of moments, she was going to fly out of Miami, out of his life. The tears that she had held at bay were fast on their way down her cheek as she walked the concourse to the terminal.

" Ms. West, everything's going to be okay," the agent had said to her. She turned to him and smiled , it betraying what she was really feeling. It had already started, she was no longer Riley Highsmith, but now she had become Lucy West.

" I'm sure it will be," she returned as she glanced backwards at the entrance to the terminal. Outside, people were going about their business as if nothing was going on, but she knew differently. Her life would never be the same. She was jarred out of her thoughts by the tinny sound of the agents headset.

" _We have the suspect in sight, he's moving west on flagler . Targets are in position."_

"Hey Johnson, what's going on?" Riley asked as she turned to him.

He looked at her and dropped his eyes, he was given strict instructions to get her on the plane, and not to tell her anything. It would be better if she didn't know.

" It's nothing, Ms. West."

"_We've lost them..._"

" That doesn't sound like nothing, Johnson."

" _All units be advised, target's is lost..."_

"Ms. West , we need to board the plane," Johnson said as he tried to turn his headset down.

" _Anybody see it?... There I see it... TS and CS seem to be okay... Wait..."_

" TS... Are they talking about Timothy?" Riley asked as she heard the faint sounds of popping. Johnson finally got the headset turned down and grabbed her by the arms lightly. " Johnson, please tell me. Is Timothy in danger?"

Johnson shook his head and continued to pull her towards the terminal.

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me..."

" Ms. West..."

" I promise you , if you don't tell me,..."

" Okay, alright, if I tell you, you are getting on that plane," he said as he relented. " There was a hit put out on him and his mother. We are tracking them, but it seems like it has gotten out of hand."

" I gotta know," Riley said as she grabbed his head set and turned it up.

" _All units be advised, targets are down... Assailant left heading west on Flager. Someone catch this maniac, he's just killed two innocents..."_

Riley let the headset drop out of her hands as she slumped to the ground. She couldn't be hearing that right. He couldn't be dead.

TSJ

Calleigh drove the SUV through the streets of Miami, keeping her eyes on the car behind them and the van behind the car. Her heart was going a mile a minute when she saw the car swerve to the right and then back behind her. She floored the gas and drove faster, making the driver of the car speed up, and hit the bumper of the SUV, sending them lurching. Calleigh looked over to Timothy, who looked back over to her with a hint of worry in his eyes, and she reached out grasped his hand. The SUV lurched forward again as the car rammed into them again. Calleigh let go of Timothy's hand and put it back on the wheel. She took a sharp turn, noticing that it wasn't the right one and cursed out loud. Timothy looked at her then in the rearview not seeing the van.

" He's not back there, mom."

" I know Timothy, I know," Calleigh said as she continued to drive. She turned again and noticed that they had made it to the warehouse district. It was then that she heard the unmistakable sounds of gunshots as they hit the SUV.

" He's shooting at us!"

" Get down, Timothy!" Calleigh ordered as she continued to drive. Her adrenaline had kicked in and she was now functioning without thinking. The bullets continued to ping off of the truck, leaving puck marks on the body. In an instant, it was over as she heard the bullet penetrate the tire, flattening it. She tried to steer the truck , but it was out of control. It came to a stop at a heap of steel beams.

Shaking her head, she could hear the squeal of tires in the distance, as she tried to focus. She had hit her head on the steering column, and she felt the blood trickling from the wound. Hearing a door open, she felt for her seat belt. Then she heard the shot. The bullet hit her in the chest and she felt the pain shoot through her as it took her breath away. She glanced down to see the blood coming from her chest then back to Timothy, as the door opened on his side. Another shot was fired and she saw Timothy take a deep breath as the blood poured out of his wound. He looked at his assailant and then closed his eyes. Calleigh felt the tears surface as she closed her eyes and dropped her head. The pain was unbearable, and it was chasing her life away.

" Where is she going?" Tim asked as he saw the SUV barreling down a road as they passed it, " Turn around, Donnie."

"We're on a one way street, Tim. We have to go around," Donnie explained as he pressed down on the gas. He turned the van onto a side street and headed in the opposite direction, taking them back to the warehouse district. Tim scanned the roads for the SUV, feeling his heart racing under his shirt. _So many things could go wrong_, he thought. He stopped breathing as he saw the SUV crashed into a pile of steel beams. The doors were opened and he saw Calleigh lying motionless in the driver's seat.

" What happened?" Tim asked as Donnie neared the SUV. Tim saw movement on the passenger side of the truck

Donnie looked down and saw the rear tire and motioned to it, " He took out their tires. Tim..."

Tim walked to the passenger side to see Timothy holding a piece of paper. He felt his heart being ripped out of his chest as he saw the blood that flowed from him and Calleigh. The sight of his family like this was too much to bear and he walked away from them, with tears in his eyes.

" Tim, we've got to get going. They are going to be fine. Alexx will take care of them," Donnie said as he put his radio up to his mouth, " All units be advised, targets are down. Assailant left headed west on Flager. Someone catch this maniac, he has just killed two innocents."

Tim nodded and grasped tightly to the paper in his hand, he was going to get this punk if it was the last thing he did.

TSJ

Alexx came to Calleigh first, lightly touching her face as she looked her over. The sadness that she felt was almost too much to bear as the body haulers moved Calleigh onto a stretcher. No matter how many times she had done this, it never got easier.

" You're going to a better place, baby," Alexx said as she covered Calleigh with a sheet. She walked over to Timothy and ran her hands through his hair, remembering the years that she had spent watching him grow. He was much like his father in many ways, and that would be something that she would miss. She motioned for the body haulers to put them in the van as she saw the Hummer pull up quickly. The doors on the van closed and Alexx walked to the driver and said, " Prep the VIP room , I'll be there shortly."

The driver nodded and pulled away as Horatio approached her, his eyes floating in pain. He stood and watched the van as it headed back in the direction of the lab. Again, he had lost a valuable friend and team member.

"Horatio," Alexx said as she touched him lightly on the arm.

He turned to her, feeling as if he was going to sink in the ground, trying to compose himself, "Alexx, what happened?"

" Both Timmy Jay and Calleigh took one round to the chest. Stipling says that it was up close and personal. I wanted to get them out of here before the media started to hover," Alexx replied as she looked into his eyes.

" I want to be at their posts, Alexx. I- I have to be there..."

" I'm closing this autopsy, Horatio. No one in."

" What? What are you talking about?"

" Their autopsy will be closed, Horatio."

"Alexx,..." Horatio said searching her eyes for an answer. This was not like her. He saw as she focused her sights on someone approaching the scene. Horatio turned to see Dennis Sackhiem as he walked up to them. He glanced at Alexx and then to Horatio.

" Lieutenant, I'm sorry to hear about your CSI and her son..."

" Not as sorry as you are going to be when I file obstruction of justice charges. By taking the evidence from us, you wasted time. We would've been able to interpret the evidence and found the trash that did this a lot quicker..."

" It's a federal case, Caine. I had jurisdiction and I went through the proper channels. We will catch him."

" Before he kills again, Dennis, or are you waiting for him to provide you with another body?"

Dennis ignored Horatio and turned to Alexx, " We get the results of the autopsy, not them. Understood?"

Alexx glared at Sackhiem and nodded adroitly, then dropping her gaze. There was nothing that she could do. As Sackhiem turned to leave, he stopped and said, " I am truly sorry about your CSI, Horatio. She was a fine officer."

Horatio barely acknowledged him as he saw Eric and Wolfe walking to the scene with their kits. They stopped at the SUV, knowing whose it was and dropped their heads. Horatio gazed at them and sighed heavily, taking his hands off of his hips. Another teammate and family member's funeral to attend to, lives snuffed out too soon.

TBC...


	15. An End and a Beginning

Left Undone

Chapter 15 An Ending and a Beginning

Riley sat in the window seat of the airplane as it began to taxi out on to the runway. Her eyes felt heavy with grief as she thought about Timothy. She held against hope that she was dreaming this. He couldn't be dead. He just couldn't. She watched silently as the plane began to drift upwards, the ground slowly giving way to blue skies. She wiped her eyes, and smiled lightly. There were no bad memories with Timothy, only good ones. And those are the ones that she would carry with her to her new home.

" Ms. West?"

" Um, yes, Johnson," Riley answered as she turned to him , offering a smile.

"I'm sorry about your friend and his mother. Were you close to him?"

" Closer than you'll ever know. Have any idea where we are going?"

" Well, we are connecting in Denver, but agent Speedle told me not to tell you until the plane was in the air."

" We've accomplished that, Johnson. So spill, where am I headed off to?"

Johnson grinned slightly as he pulled out a brochure and handed it to her, " Have you ever been there?"

Riley looked at the brochure and sighed, a faint smile crossed her lips as she thought about a conversation that she and Donnie had when she was staying in Syracuse.

" _If there is anywhere you'd rather be, where would you go?"_

" _San Diego, California."_

"_Wow, you certainly had that one ready. Why San Diego?"_

"_I dunno, I just think that it would be a nice place to live. From the pictures I've seen, it looks beautiful."_

"_Who knows one day, you just might make it there..."_

" _I'll believe it when I see it, Donnie..."_

" He was right," Riley said almost in a whisper.

"What?"

Riley looked at him and shrugged, " Oh it's nothing, so San Diego huh?"

" I think you will like it . Your uncle was flown there earlier today and he should be getting settled in at the hospital there."

" Would it be possible for me to see him when we land?"

"That could be your first step, if you want it to be," Johnson replied.

Riley nodded her head as she turned to gaze out at the brilliant blue sky saying, " I would like that."

She had nothing but memories left in Miami, and she closed her eyes committing them to her heart.

TSJ

When Horatio arrived at the morgue, he found the doors closed and locked. Never had he experienced anything of this nature and it was confounding him. The feeling of worthlessness covered him as he stood quietly outside the doors, praying that no one would see him there. He had lost a part of his family today, and it stung just as bad as it did two years ago, possibly even worse. Again, he was unable to help them. Again he had failed them. He was lost in his thoughts as someone approached him. Looking up , he saw that it was Eric. He wore an expression of pure pain, his eyes having that hollowed effect and sadness had draped itself around him.

" H, there's no talk about where this animal might be," Eric said as he cleared his throat roughly. " He's disappeared."

" No one's that good," Horatio replied as he continued to hold his head down. He didn't want to see the sadness etched on Eric's face again, for fear that it would make his grief surface more than he wanted it to. " We are going to find this punk, and he's going to stand trial for murdering a police officer."

Eric glanced at the morgue doors and dropped his demeanor even more. He couldn't believe that behind those doors, lain the bodies of his dear friends. Trying to shake it off, he turned back to Horatio and asked, " No word yet from Alexx?"

" No , and we won't. Sackheim gave her strict instructions to give him the findings of the autopsies."

" You're joking, right? We won't get to know what happened to Calleigh and Timothy? That's bullshit and you know it Horatio," Eric said as his voice rose.

"It is what it is, Eric. He has followed all procedures and protocols. We are out of the loop on this one."

" Dammit, this isn't right H! They were our friends, our family. We have a right to know," Eric said as he saw the door to the morgue openAlexx stepped outside the door, with a solemn look about her. Instantly, Eric's harsh demeanor had vanished and it was replaced by silence.

" They are on their way to the funeral home, Horatio," Alexx reported as he stood up expectantly.

" Wh- What? We can't see them?"

"No, they have already taken them. I'm sorry, Horatio. My hands were tied."

Horatio gazed at her with understanding. She was only doing her job, but she was the one who had seen them last.

" How was it?" he asked quietly. He knew the answer to this question before it even escaped his lips, he knew that it had have been awful, especially for Alexx. She had been the closest to them.

" You know I can't discuss this with you, Horatio. But I will let you know that they didn't suffer. They bled out rather quickly."

Horatio nodded and replied softly, " Understood. Did the Feds make the funeral arrangements as well?"

" Surprisingly, no they didn't. It has been left up to us," Alexx said as she dropped her gaze. She looked at the ground, feeling a sense of emptiness. " I was thinking that I would take care of it. That is if you didn't mind."

" No, no Alexx. I'm sure that you will do what's right," he replied as he turned to face Eric. He then turned back to Alexx and tried to smile, but not quite pulling it off. " Excuse me, Alexx."

Alexx and Eric watched as Horatio walked to the elevator and waited patiently for the lift to arrive, never lifting his head. It was a sad day for them all.

TSJ

Tim couldn't help but think about Calleigh and Timothy as they sat on the curb, waiting. The images of them lying in the wreckage of the SUV haunted him and gave him more tenacity to get this guy. He nervously tapped his fingers on the window, eliciting stares from his brother.

" Tim would you knock it off, please."

" Oh, excuse me Donnie. Am I bothering you?" Tim asked his words dripping with heavy sarcasm. " I could've sworn that my family was in that SUV."

Donnie glared at him and shook his head. If there was one thing that he couldn't stand , it was his brother's yo- yo temper. One moment he was content ,the next, he was ready to blow. The situation had intensified his mood swings and Donnie was finding it hard to maintain his composure.

" I was just saying, Tim. Just lay off of the nervous ticks . You know it drives me up the wall when you do that."

" You're serious aren't you? You've got to be kidding me."

" What? This is a highly stressful situation. I'd rather if I could think in peace," Donnie retorted as he continued to look at his older brother.

" Tell me about it. A hit man just murdered my wife and son, and now we are waiting for him to come back. Which I think is a stupid idea."

" Well Einstein what would you have done?"

" Did they teach you nothing in the academy? Oh, I forgot, you are FBI..."

" Oh, that's cute Tim. Really. I'm serious though, what would you have done?"

"Well, if I just iced a cop and her kid, do you think that he would stay in Miami?"

" You're thinking that he's gone back to New Jersey?"

" Yep, and he's been in the air for almost two hours now," Tim said as he cast his glance up to the darkened house.

" Well I don't think so. We are not dealing with the smartest one in the bunch. Fifty says that he comes back here."

" Fifty? How about make it a hundred, and bragging rights?" Tim asked as his attitude had changed.

" You're on, big brother," Donnie said as he shook Tim's hand. They had a rough a time of it for a while, being that Tim was thirteen years older than him, but through out the years, they had managed to find common ground, it being law enforcement. Donnie had joined the FBI right out of college. He had always looked up to his big brother, but when he saw first hand at what Tim was doing with his life, Donnie had decided that it was worth a chance. He had wanted to find a way to help people, especially after growing up in the type of home he had. He figured that helping was in his DNA and he had both his mother and brother to thank for that. He was rewarded in his work and he hadn't regretted a single choice he had made.

"So, you really think that he's going to come back?" Tim asked incredulously.

" Just wait."

Tim sat back in his chair and continued to watch the house. As the hours had passed, he thought about the new life that he would have to assume after this, and he thought once more about the home that he was going to have to leave. Miami had been his solace when he needed it and it would always hold a special place in his heart.

Coming out of his deep thoughts, he saw a pair of headlights as they shined up into the driveway, and watched as a thin, lanky boy stepped out of the electric blue Honda. Tim reached into his pocket and took out his wallet, handing his brother a crisp one hundred dollar bill.

Donnie laughed slightly as he took the bill and tucked into his own pocket, " Nice doin' business with you , Timmy."

" Yeah, yeah, you were right, so now what do we do?"

" Want to go ask him some questions?" Donnie asked.

" Sure," Tim replied as he started to get out of the van.

" Wait, is your gun clean?" Donnie asked factitiously.

" That was low, Donnie. But to quell your fears, I've always cleaned my gun."

" Just checking," he smirked as they got out and headed for the house. Donnie knocked on the door sharply and listened intently.

Tim heard the gun chamber a round and dove at his brother just as the bullets pierced the door. Rolling away, he checked Donnie before getting to his feet.

"Donnie!"

" I'm okay. What about you?"

"Fine. Whaddya say we catch this guy," Tim said as he held a hand out. Donnie took it quickly and filled his hands with his gun as Tim went to the other side of the door. When they were ready, Tim kicked the door open and pointed his gun inside. As they entered, Tim could see several pictures of his family along with pictures of Riley and Malcolm. He walked past them quickly and noticed movement in the hallway. Silently, he motioned for his brother to cover him, and they moved quickly. The sounds of gunfire filled the air once more. Tim shot his gun into the darkness before taking cover behind the door jamb. He heard the faint sounds of someone crying out in pain, and he motioned for Donnie to shine his flashlight into the hall. In the glare of the light, he saw Cooper as he doubled over in pain, holding his stomach.

"It's safe to say that you got him, Tim," Donnie replied as they both entered into the hall way.

" You think we need to call an ambulance?" Tim asked as he knelt on his haunches next to the bleeding boy.

" I'll call . You stay with him, and no funny business, Tim."

" I promise that I will be good. Scouts honor," Tim replied as he glared down at Cooper.

Donnie got up and went into the other room, leaving Cooper with Tim. Tim smiled devilishly at the young man as he kicked the weapon from him.

" Me and you, are going to have a talk."

" I have nothing to say to you. You are going to wish that you were dead," Cooper spat as he coughed up blood.

" Now, now, Cooper. That's not nice," Tim said as he applied pressure to Cooper's wound. " I'm just holding a friendly conversation. Who ordered the hit on my family?"

" You think that I'm going to tell you?"

" I think that you are a scared kid that has gotten in way over his head. You have any idea what you've done?"

" I really don't give a shit."

Tim ignored him and continued to talk, " You've killed a cop. In Miami."

" Yeah, so?"

" Florida stands by it's excution record. You know what that means?"

Cooper sat silently as the thoughts ran through his mind. Of course he knew what that meant. He was going to go to the gas chamber. He decided that he was going to remain calm and stilled his will.

" I'm still a minor," Cooper returned.

" No, Cooper you're not. See, I was able to get my hands on some records, your records, and I found that you are more than sixteen years old. In fact, you are twenty isn't that right?"

Cooper stared into the darkness, knowing that he was trapped. He remained silent as he heard the sounds of the ambulance coming towards the house. He had to make a choice.

"Alright, alright, I was ordered to hit, by the Mattini family. Hugo Mattini. He said that if I did this, I would be square with him."

" Mattini family? And he hit Riley Highsmith and her uncle?"

" Who?" Cooper asked confused.

" Oh, I mean, Rachel Trenton. The little girl that witnessed Hugo's son kill that drug dealer in New Jersey," Tim replied as he revealed Riley's real name for the first time since meeting her.

" Yeah, yeah, he ordered all of it. Now, what do I get?"

" Get?"

"Yeah, I gave you some information, what do I get in return?"

" You , my friend get a free ride to the hospital and a stay on Florida's death row," Tim replied as he got up. Donnie returned to them quickly as the lights of the ambulance flashed through the house. Someone followed Donnie into the room and Tim looked at him with a small smile on his face and handed him a recorder.

" Good job, Speedle," Sackhiem said as he took the recorder and glanced down at Cooper.

Cooper looked at him wildly and asked, " Just how did you find me?"

" My son wrote your name down on a piece of paper before he died. Led us straight to you," Tim said as Sackhiem pulled Cooper up and cuffed him ,reading him his rights. " Enjoy Florida's penitentary system."

Donnie smiled and clasped Tim on the back then told him," You better get out of here before some of your friends show up."

" I'm going. Meet you in San Diego?"

" Wouldn't miss it. Be careful ,Tim."

" I will, Donnie." Tim said as he walked quickly out of the back door. He picked up his pace as he neared a dark alley and quickly uncovered a gleaming motorcycle. Smiling he got on and started the engine. In minutes, he was on the causeway, heading for his future leaving an end for a beginning.

_TBC..._

_A/N: Alright guys, we've come to the end of this ride. The next chapter is the epilogue..._


	16. Peace

Left Undone

Epilogue : Peace

_Three days later_

Horatio watch mournfully as the caskets were put side by side next to Tim's headstone. The family had finally been reunited. He slipped on the glasses before anyone could see the tears as they dropped and turned away from the caskets for a moment to look at his team, once again splintered. Eric was having a hard time keeping his composure, letting the tears flow at will, as he gazed into space. He had just completed therapy for Speed, and now Horatio feared that it would be another long journey for Calleigh and Timothy. Sighing, he set his gaze on Ryan , who had a stoned face, as he stared at the mahogany caskets. Horatio knew that Calleigh had befriended him when he had started, and had helped him through his first year. He had held Calleigh in high regards, letting her get closer than anyone before. Horatio could tell by the way that he stood, that he was already retreating into himself. The best thing had been taken from him, and that was understanding. He effected a look of loss even as he tried to stay strong. Finally, Horatio turned his attention to Alexx, who too was staring at the caskets, tears falling as well. There was something different in her tears ,he noticed. Her face wasn't contorted in pain, but it almost had a look of relief. It puzzled Horatio , but he didn't dwell on it. Each of them had their own ways of dealing with their grief.

As the ceremony came to a close, Horatio found himself surrounded by his friends, as he stood at the foot of the caskets. He put a hand on both of them and felt the tears surge out of him. He had known Calleigh for years, he himself had went to New Orleans to recruit her. His mind flashed on Timothy, remembering the day he was born, his first birthday and other milestones that seemed so precious at this moment. The power of his pain found an avenue out as he wept uncontrollably over them, shocking even Alexx. He had never let his guard down in front of anyone, and it was a little disconcerting.

Alexx put a comforting hand on Horatio as his tears began to make small wells on the wood, "Horatio, it's going to be okay. They are in a better place now. You've got to believe that."

Horatio nodded slightly and attempted to compose himself. Alexx was right, they had found peace finally. He looked up at her and smiled, she always knew what to say. His attention was caught by a figure standing in the distance and he lifted his glasses more to get a better look. He could plainly see the person standing near a tree. He looked to Alexx for a slight second and then back to the tree, noticing that the person was gone. In that moment, Horatio knew that they were indeed in a better place.

* * *

Tim stood by the tree watching the ceremony with a faint ache in his heart. He had stood by this same tree two years ago and watched as his family mourned him. The difference this time was that it was his very own family that was there. He felt the tears rise up inside of him as he saw Horatio stand in front of the caskets, letting his grief out for all the world to see. He remembered how stoic Horatio had been at his funeral, it being a stark contrast to the man that he saw here today. All the pain seemed to burst forward like a volcano, spewing it's burning lava into the heavens, searing his heart. As much as it pained Tim to see his mentor like this, he knew that this was the way it had to be. For the safety of those he loved, the world as he knew it had to end. He thought seriously of calling Horatio on his cell phone, but he realized that it would raise more questions than he could deal with , and pushed the thought away.

" He will heal," Tim said to himself, " In time, they all will."

In an instant, he turned and walked away, his memories of them tucked neatly inside the crevices of his mind.

TSJ

_Six months later..._

Riley stepped off of the elevator quickly and headed for the nurses station, her pulse racing at a maddening pace. She had gotten the phone call when she had gotten home from school, and she practically forced Johnson in the car. As they sped to the hospital, Riley thought about the months that had passed and felt a tug on her heart. Every moment since that day, she had thought about Timothy. Her heart seemed to fill with despair as she remembered his smile and his warm brown eyes, missing the touches, the sound of his voice. It had been hard but she was making it, day by day, hour by hour, she was living her life.

As Johnson slid the car into the parking space, she shook the memories from her mind and focused on why she was here. The ride up to the floor where her uncle was lying in a coma, was nerve wracking , and she thought of only one possibility; he had slipped away during the night. Riley couldn't help the pessimistic feelings, considering what she had gone through in her short life. She had learned never to have expectations, therefore she would never be disappointed. She wished that she had applied that when it came to Timothy, but she hadn't and disappointment wasn't the word for what she was feeling.

" He's got to be okay," Riley said as she passed the nurses station. The nurse looked up at the blur and stood up quickly.

" Um, miss, I'm sorry , you can't go back there," she said as she came around to the side of the nurses station.

" I can, and I will," Riley replied as she started to walk towards the corridor that was lined with rooms.

The nurse stepped in front of her, preventing her from going any further and Riley stared at her in disbelief, " I got a call from the doctor about my uncle. So I need to be in there."

" And who is your uncle?"

" Robert West," Riley said as she remembered the new monikers given to them. " The doctor said that it was urgent. Now , if something has happened to him and you are preventing me from seeing him, then, I would think that you would be in some serious trouble."

The nurse stared back at her in disgust, but let her pass, and watched her as she disappeared down the corridor. She had been on shift for almost twelve hours and didn't have the desire or the will to fight with some teenaged kid.

Johnson struggled to keep up with Riley, and as she neared the door to her uncle's room, he caught her hand just before she raised it to open the door.

" Lucy, wait. Are you sure you are ready for this?"

Riley turned around and looked him in the eye. She had grown accustomed to her new name, but she didn't like it, " Regardless if I'm ready or not, Johnson, I have to go in."

Johnson saw the resignation in her eyes and let her hand go. He had been amazed at how mature and responsible this young lady had been despite the many tragedies she had to endure. He reached out and opened the door for her, letting her walk in alone. When he saw the relief on her face, he let the door closed behind her and walked to the elevator waited. He had a phone call to make.

* * *

" Hey, can I get a hand in here?" Tim called out as he struggled to put the bags on the counter top. As he unloaded the bags, the food toppled out , falling to the floor, causing him to curse under his breath. He crouched down and started to pick the things up.

" Since when do you need any help in the kitchen?" a voice said from behind him. His face lit into a smile as he stood up from his crouching position, turning to face her.

" Since, today when you sent me to grocery shop. You should know better by now, Cal, that I'm a dangerous man in a grocery store."

Calleigh walked over to the food on the floor and bent down to pick it up, eyeing the products with a gleeful smile on her face.

"And what is this for?" she asked as she handed him the strawberries and whip cream.

"Not what you think. Honestly, you should get your mind out of the gutter sometimes ,Calleigh."

" Why? It makes life so much fun," she replied with a different smile on her face. Tim knew exactly what that smile meant. "Did you remember to get some mustard?"

" Yes, I remembered the mustard . It was on aisle five, just like you said it would be," Tim replied as he smirked at her. " Now ,if you can help me with this , we can get to the possibility of more exciting things."

" Promises, promises... Oh I forgot , your brother called."

" Yeah? What did he want?"

" Oddly , he wanted to talk to Junior."

" Really? Wonder what's that all about?" Tim said as he started putting things away.

" I don't know, but after he hung up the phone, he was out of here in a flash. I think it had something to do with Riley."

Tim stopped what he was doing and turned to Calleigh, surprised etched on his face. In all the time that they had been in San Diego, he had not once heard his son speak of Riley. He figured that he was gathering his will to finally talk to her, not knowing how she would take his sudden appearance. Tim had watched his son struggle to gain a sense of what he wanted , for months, and he had even sat down to talk to him, hoping to help. After the conversation, nothing was really gained and Tim figured that his son would know the right time to go to her.

" You think that he's going to go to Riley?" Tim asked thoughtfully.

" I think today is the day, Tim. Our son may just put caution to the wind and go for what he wants."

" I sure hope so, because I know that he loves that girl. Do you know how many songs he's written about her since we've been here?"

"Too many to count. He's an emotional kid, I'm glad that he has an outlet that he can turn to . It helped him during your absence," Calleigh said as her tone turned reflective.

Tim put the food down on the counter top and moved to her gracefully, seeing the slight twinge of pain that showed in her green eyes. When he returned to them, he swore to himself that he would do all in his power to make sure that she and Timothy would never have to feel that pain again. Taking her in his arms, he gazed into her eyes feeling his eyes well, and spoke softly.

" Cal, I can't tell you how much I love you. When I was away from you, my life felt empty. But now that we are together, I feel like I have been restored."

" Oh, Tim," Calleigh replied just as softly as she wiped the tear from his eye. " I know why you did what you did, and it makes me love you even more. I hope that I never have to feel lost like that again."

" I promise that you won't ," Tim said as he bent slightly to kiss her. Calleigh held on to him as if her life depended on it and allowed herself to be engulfed by his love. This is how it was supposed to be.

* * *

" Malcolm?" Riley said as she came to the foot of his bed. His head was turned to the side, but she could see his eyes open. At the sound of her voice, he turned his head and faced her, a smile quickly taking over him.

" Riley, are you okay? Where are we?"

" I'm fine. We are in San Diego. How much do you remember?" Riley asked as she came to his side. She sat and grasped his hand, feeling the warmth of it.

" Not much. I remember seeing a car, then hearing a gun, then hearing a voice, but after that it gets sketchy. How'd we end up in San Diego?"

" We were flushed out and an attempt was made on our lives."

" An attempt?"

" You were shot and so was I," Riley stated as she lifted up her shirt to expose a scar on her stomach, " but as you can see, we made it."

" I'm sorry, Riley..."

" No there's nothing to be sorry about, Malcolm. We are alive and well," Riley replied as she dropped her head slightly.

Noticing, Malcolm squeezed her hand and asked, " If that's the case, then why are you so sad?"

" I had to leave him... He died because of me," Riley said tearfully.

" What do you mean? Timothy's dead?"

Riley nodded her head as she felt the tears choke her. The staleness of her pain became fresh again at the mention of his name. She wiped at her eyes, trying to gather the strength to tell him what had happened. Until now, it was something that she relived only in her mind, but as she gave words to her feelings, she felt as if she was slipping into darkness.

" I was on the plane , heading here, when I heard it over the radio. Tim and his mother had a hit put out on them, and they were being chased. I-I heard the gunshots... Then someone said that they had been killed."

" You can't possibly know if that was true ,Riley. They could've gotten away," Malcolm returned as he fought to hold back his own tears. He had grown to care for Timothy as if he was his own son.

" I heard it for myself ,Malcolm. Then, a week later, I called Donnie to get information and he sent me this," Riley said as she pulled a clipping out of her bag.

Malcolm took it out of her hand and read it aloud, " Local Detective and Son fall victim to street violence."

Riley's voice shook as she looked up at him, seeing the sadness that had taken refuge on his face, " They died because of me."

Malcolm let the clipping drop from his hand and moved to embrace her. She wept in his chest, letting all of it spill out into the open. In an instant, the door opened and a doctor walked in , prompting Riley to let go, gathering herself quickly.

" Um, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I have to do a preliminary exam of Mr. West. You can wait outside if you want."

Riley moved quickly out of the way and walked to the door almost thankful for the interruption , " I'll be back, uncle Robert."

He nodded as she opened the door and walked out. He knew that he would have to be there for her now more than ever.

* * *

He had a sense of urgency as he passed the gift shop, looking for the bank of elevators to take him to his destination. His body tingled with anticipation at what he was about to do. For six long months he longed to be with her to tell her that he loved her. It took him that long because he was afraid of what she might say or do at the deception, but he hoped upon all hope that she would understand that it had to be done.

He stopped at the information desk to ask for some help, not wanting to waste time by searching for it on his own. He didn't want to miss this chance. He had to tell her today. As he walked up to the information desk, he saw her as she turned the corner, tears flowing down her cheeks. Her once beautifully happy face had been overtaken by despair and sadness. Seeing her like this, he had to make it right.

* * *

Riley got off of the elevator and strode towards the door, the only thought in her mind was to get to some fresh air. She had to clear her mind of this, she had to shed this debilitating pain for her own sake. Her uncle was awake and now she had to focus on helping him back to health, and that would entailing her letting go of Timothy.

" _Can I do that?" _she asked herself as she continued to walk, oblivious to anything in her path.

She passed the information desk and was almost to the door when she heard her name.

"Riley?"

She stopped and turned around, knowing that there was no one here that knew her old name. Her eyes welled as she lifted her gaze to meet his, and she put a hand to her mouth to quell the scream that she felt coming from deep inside. He walked up to her slowly, and reached out his hand, and she hesitantly put hers out to feel that it was real.

" It can't be, I heard the radio. It was in the paper... You are supposed to be dead," she said as she dissolved into tears. He pulled her into a strong embrace, his body relaxing at the contact that he had been missing. He felt her body shake as she sobbed into his chest, and he held on to her tighter.

" It had to be done, Riley. It wasn't going to stop if we didn't die."

" But how?" Riley asked as she pulled away from him. She searched his eyes for validation, finding the love that she had lost .

" My Uncle Donnie is a resourceful son of a gun. He fitted us with kevlar with squibs. It was all very Hollywood. When we got shot, the kelvar protected us from the bullet and activated the devices."

" How did you ... The medical examiner had to pronounce you ,right? How did you get around that?"

" Alexx was apart of it from the beginning. She had done the same for my father two years ago. All we had to do is play dead. After that, we were debriefed and put on a plane here. Three days later, my father joined us."

Riley watched him as he spoke and she felt the sadness morph into something entirely different, anger.

" So, it took you six months to tell me? Why? For those six months, I cried over you, hard. My world had completely stopped turning."

" I waited because I knew that you were going to be mad at me . I didn't know how I was going to handle it, Riley. I was scared."

Her demeanor soften quickly, and she realized that she was being too hard. What mattered was that he was here, he was alive, and she couldn't have asked for anything more. Her hands found his face and pulled it down to hers, and she let her lips gently touch his.

" I'm not mad at you, Timothy. I'm happy that you are okay..."

" Just happy?"

"Well okay, over the moon."

" That's better," he smirked as he bent to return the kiss. After parting, he said, " So Malcolm's awake?"

" Yeah, and I told him about what happened. Imagine what he's going to say when he sees you."

" I can only imagine,"he returned chuckling. He took her hand and lost himself in her sparkling eyes, saying, " I love you."

" I love you, Timothy, or is it someone else?"

"It's Patrick, Patrick Sanders, Jr."

" It's nice to meet you, Patrick," she replied laughingly.

" Funny, huh? So what's your new name?"

" Lucy West."

" Lucy, ... as in peanuts Lucy? You're kidding..."

" Nope and if you are not careful, I'll knock your block off..."

Timothy laughed at her and took her into another kiss, not caring about who saw them. He had found his love once more and he intended on keeping her this time.

TSJ

" Are you ready to go?" Riley called as she pulled on her jacket. " I don't want to be late."

Malcolm appeared at the top of the staircase with his cane and descended slowly. Riley watched him with pride and love, marveling at the rate at which he had recovered. It had only been two weeks since he was discharged from the hospital, but he had taken on the rehabilitation process as if it were a high priority. He wasn't about to let this get the best of him.

" We are not going to be late, Riley," he said as he came to rest at the bottom of the stairs. " We aren't even supposed to be there for another hour."

" I just want to be on time. And you better get in the practice of calling me Lucy. You don't want Donnie coming after you ."

" Oh no, we can't have that," Malcolm returned as he smiled. He was happy that he could count the Speedles, or the Sanders , as they were now known as, as his friends.

" Well , come on then. We have to stop by their house to pick them up," she prodded.

Malcolm let out a sigh as he stepped off of the last step, and opened the door, " After you."

"Thanks, and I'll drive."

"Naturally," he returned as he followed her. He was glad that despite every thing, that she was okay.

* * *

Tim opened the door to see Malcolm standing with Riley , who had a huge smile on her face, knowing who it was for. He sighed slightly and said, " I'm sorry , Lucy, he's left already."

Riley turned to glare at Malcolm then huffed, walking into the house leaving the men to watch her as she made her way to the couch.

"Now, I see why she wanted to come early," Malcolm said as Tim closed the door. Tim chuckled slightly as they both walked into the living room, and Calleigh followed behind them, with her bag.

" Robert, how are you doing?" she asked as she pecked him on the cheek.

He barely responded, not being used to his name, but he recovered to reply, " Oh, I'm fine. Just can't get used to the new me."

" I know what you mean. I've been Calleigh for my entire life, and when someone calls me Rebecca, I act as if I don't even hear them."

" Oh so that would explain why you don't answer me," Tim piped up.

" Well, that and sometimes, I truly do ignore you," she returned smiling.

" This from my loving wife," Tim said as he heard the door bell ring. He got up to open it, seeing his brother on the other end. " Donnie! Glad you could make it."

" I'm not late, I'm right on time,"he replied as he walked through the door. He waved to them in the living room, seeing the clouded face of Riley as she sat in the chair. " Hey what's wrong with her?"

" She missed Timothy, he's already down at the club."

" Oh well, I think we need to be making our way down there, don't you?"

" Capital idea, there, Donnie," he said as he turned back to them, " You guys ready?"

Riley got up in a flash and ran to the door pushing through the storm door, letting it slam behind her. Tim glanced out at her as she stood next to the SUV, almost unable to keep her cool.

" I guess, that means yes," Donnie replied as he opened the door. Soon they were on the road, headed to the club, making Riley a very happy girl.

* * *

The club was jammed pack as they came up, and the clouded expression returned to Riley's face. This was exactly what she wanted to avoid, knowing that this was the best club in San Diego. She wanted to get a good seat to see him, and her chances were looking slim to none. Tim turned to look at her, and smirked slightly, parking the SUV. When they got out, he surveyed the crowd until he found who he was looking for.

" Chuck! He hasn't performed yet has he?" Tim called out above the din of the crowd.

" Not yet, but if you want to see him, I suggest that you get in there," Chuck said as he lifted up the rope, letting them under.

" Is our table reserved?"

" As always, Patrick. Go ahead in."

Tim nodded his thanks and turned to Riley who had relief painted all over her face, " Never underestimate a Speedle."

" I'll remember that," she replied as they walked in the door. Riley was astonished at the difference of the atmosphere that she had just walked into. Despite the large crowd outside, the mood inside the club remained temperate, and mellow. They made their way to their seats without any problems and settled in just as the band took the stage. Riley's face lit up when she saw Timothy position himself behind the drum set, throwing her a bright smile.

" He's been working on this for a while,"Tim said as he sat between Calleigh and Riley. " Says that you are going to like it."

Riley continued to watch him as he twirled the sticks between his fingers, saying, "I'll love anything that he plays."

They all laughed as the MC came to the mike , the thunderous applause rousting him.

" Ladies and gents, I want to thank you for coming out . First I want to introduce the band behind me, starting with Patrick Sanders who wrote most of the music that you will be hearing tonight."

Timothy stood slightly to acknowledge the applause and glanced over to Riley who was clapping wildly and shouting, motioning for her to cool it. When the applause died down some more, the MC continued to introduce the rest of the band, then finally turning it over to the pianist.

"Alright guys, you ready?" he asked as he nodded to Timothy. Timothy took the gesture and began to play as the pianist continued, " This one's called Left Undone."

The sounds of the music that Timothy had written almost a year ago, wafted through the club mesmerizing the crowd as they listened intently. Riley never took her eyes off of him, noticing the passion as he played the drums. He worked as if he was on autopilot, never opening his eyes, and never missing a beat. Tim watched him with pride as he took Calleigh's hand, squeezing it. He had missed out on two years of his son's life, and seeing the end result of it tugged at his heart strings. Life for them would never be left undone again.

THE END.

A/N: Oh gosh, I felt like I was on a journey with this chapter. Well , there it is , it's finished. Let me know how you felt about it...


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